Protect yourself from consumer scams

These days, you can never be too cautious when it comes to protecting yourself from possible scams.

Once in a while, we get reports from customers who're concerned about or have experienced suspicious phone calls, text messages, emails, or even knocks on the door from someone pretending to be affiliated with EPCOR.

Your business and privacy are important to us, so here are a few things you should know about when you might hear from us and when you should be suspicious.

We’re warning customers to be cautious of common text scams.

Customers should be aware of common text scams asking for personal or banking information, or asking you to click on a link.

We will never ask you to reply to a text message with your personal or banking information.

Protect yourself from consumer scams by being cautious. DO NOT click any links.

Learn more about the ways we may contact you and what to watch for below.

When you might hear from us

Below are some examples of when you might hear from us. Please note that these reasons may vary, depending on which services we provide in your community.

We'll phone you

There are several reasons we may call you, including:

Informing you of unusual account activity
Following up to discuss billing, or requests for service or information
Notifying you of a service outage
Sharing information about utility projects proposed in your neighbourhood
Updating important account information

You may also get calls from an autodialer or a collections agency regarding overdue account balances.

We'll text you

If you've signed up to get text message alerts from us, we'll text you. If you get a text from us and haven't signed up for this service, that's a red flag.

We'll email you

We send monthly emails to our ebill customers. These, and any other email from us, will be sent from an epcor.com email address. If it's not from an epcor.com email, it's not from EPCOR.

We may also email you about issues related to customer service follow-up, like:

Informing you of unusual account activity
Notifying you of a service outage
Following up to discuss billing or requests for service or information
Obtaining updated account information

We'll visit you

We may come to your door for operational purposes, like:

Responding to power or water outages or issues
Meter reading or pre-scheduled meter retirements, changes or inspections
Water quality testing
Cross connection control inspections (commercial customers)
Notifying you of a nearby safety issue that may impact you (like a downed power line)
Notifying you of damage to your property as a result of work we've completed in the area

When you should be suspicious

Malicious phone calls, texts, emails or knocks on your door are usually represented as "urgent" and it's likely the person on the other end will ask for (or demand) personal or payment information on the spot. Always be suspicious if someone is asking for immediate payment in cash, or using paypal, bitcoin or moneygram. And never agree to provide payment in person at an off-site location. These are not our standard payment methods, so it's a red flag if you experience any of these requests.

Other red flags

If we contact you about a follow-up to customer service, chances are you've reached out to us first. If you haven't, that's a red flag.
If you get an email from us that wasn't sent from an epcor.com email address, that's a red flag.
EPCOR doesn't do door-to-door sales. If someone comes to your door to promote or sell something, that's a red flag.

If we contact you — by phone, email, or a knock on your door — we'll never demand personal or payment information on the spot. And we won't threaten or intimidate you into providing it. Our job is to serve you, the customer, so we do our best to work with you on whatever issues arise.

For more information:

Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s website

Check in with us

If someone claiming to be from EPCOR contacts you and you're not sure whether or not it's legitimate, check in with us:

View your account online to see if there's an outstanding balance on your account that requires payment.
Call us and ask one of our Customer Service Representatives if we're trying to reach you.

If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer:

Register a complaint online with Service Alberta, or 1-877-427-4088
If you are concerned about your EPCOR account status, call 310-4300

Protect yourself from consumer scams

We’re warning customers to be cautious of common text scams.

When you​​ might hear from us

We'll ​phone you

We'll​ text you

W​e'll​​ email you

We'll vis​it you

When you should be suspiciou​s

Other re​​d flags

Check in with u​​​​s

​If yo​u think you’ve been contacted by a scammer: