Be Wary of Anyone Demanding Immediate Payment
Tampa Electric is warning customers about two convincing new scams designed to trick people into sending money to scammers.
Several Tampa Electric customers, looking to pay their power bills, used search engines to find the company’s phone number or website. Instead, a sponsored ad, created by scammers, directed them to an imposter website or phone number, which requested payment or personal financial information.
Another scam involves criminals who exploit periods of widespread disruption, such as weather-related power outages. They call or text customers about power outages at their addresses, demanding immediate cash card or gift card payments before restoring power. Several customers have paid the scammers thousands of dollars.
These ploys are consistent with a larger trend in the utility industry, and Tampa Electric has seen an abrupt increase in customers who have encountered these scams.
When paying a bill, customers should always ensure they visit Tampa Electric’s online account portal, with correct spelling: TECOAccount.com, or call the phone number listed on their bill. Visit TampaElectric.com/Scam for more information or to report a scam attempt.
In the past 18 months, reports of scammers contacting Tampa Electric customers have skyrocketed.
In 2024 alone, more than 400 Tampa Electric customers reported scam attempts – more than the previous two years combined. This year’s reports may eclipse that.
While scammers are always finding new tricks, here are their most common tactics:
- A caller pretends to be a Tampa Electric employee and insists your account is delinquent. Caller ID may even falsely display Tampa Electric’s number, called “spoofing,” which makes it more convincing.
- The caller threatens to turn off your power and demands immediate payment. Sometimes the scammer instructs the customer to use a payment app or to buy a prepaid card from a local drug store.
- Scammers may also attempt to get your account information while offering to reduce your bill with a “special rate” or other discount. They may even make a fraudulent payment on your account.
- In some cases, customers have paid scammers thousands of dollars.
How can you discern between a scammer and a credible Tampa Electric call?
- Tampa Electric does not accept payments through mobile payment apps or cryptocurrency.
- Tampa Electric never demands payment in person or calls to ask for credit card or debit card or gift card numbers.
- Know the status of your account. You can view your account through Tampa Electric’s secure online account portal, TecoAccount.com, or by calling the phone number listed on your bill or on our website, TampaElectric.com.
- TECO will always validate your account with you. For residential customers, this is typically the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Tampa Electric urges customers to be wary of anyone claiming to be from the utility, either in person or over the phone. Various versions of this scam have affected customers of Tampa Electric – and utilities across the country – for a decade.
All Tampa Electric employees are required to carry photo identification cards. If someone claiming to be a Tampa Electric representative visits your home or business, request to see an ID badge or call the company to verify their identity. If an imposter shows up in person pretending to be from Tampa Electric, immediately report it to your local law enforcement agency.
If you are uncertain about an individual's association with Tampa Electric, contact the company for verification at 888-223-0800.
Tampa Electric is a member of the Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) collaborative. The group consists of more than 150 gas, electric and water utility companies across the country and Canada. Members of the organization work across the utility industry and with regulators, law enforcement and telecommunications partners to help stop scams targeting utility customers.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves more than 860,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
