Scammers used accurate BC Hydro account numbers to press customers into falling for a scam. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

shocking

BC Hydro customers in Nanaimo fall prey to ‘brazen’ scam

Nov 4, 2020 | 6:32 PM

NANAIMO — Scammers have redoubled their efforts to prey on the innocent.

A new scam is believed by Nanaimo RCMP to have victimized more than a dozen businesses and households to the tune of thousands of dollars over the weekend.

Scammers would call people claiming to represent BC Hydro and accuse customers of letting their accounts fall into arrears.

Threats to cut off power would follow, unless the customers went to a specific Bitcoin machine in Woodgrove Centre and scan a QR code they’d been emailed.

Ted Olynyk with BC Hydro said the scammers were effective at pressing customers into following through with the scam by having accurate account numbers.

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“What we suspect after conversations with the Nanaimo RCMP is the information could have been obtained through mail theft or they could be very good at phishing and getting information from customers,” he said.

Even with accurate numbers, Olynyk said customers should have looked at their most recent bill to see they aren’t under threat of having their power turned off.

“If we’re going to disconnect your power, you’ll hear from us many times. The last thing we want to do is disconnect a customer. It’s costly to us, the customer and inconvenient.”

Olynyk said scams against BC Hydro customers are constant, similar to Revenue Canada scams seeking Social Insurance Numbers and gift cards.

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