Protecting yourself from scams and fraud

Email, text, social media, Google ads and phone scams

Fraudsters and scammers may mimic legitimate FortisBC emails to:

• make customers open an email
• click a link or attachment
• make a payment or give away personal information via phone or email

Some scammers send spam emails or texts disguised as FortisBC with spoofed email addresses, logos, trademarks, website links and wording to add to the deception.

Scammers may also contact you via text or email claiming to be FortisBC, issuing a refund and needing your banking information. If you click on the link you’ll be taken to pages that mimic direct deposit pages, asking you to select your bank and give your account details.

You may also see a suspicious sponsored ad when using Google to search for our contact information. These ads are created by bad actors who misrepresent themselves as FortisBC. If you call the number in the ad, the scammers will pressure you into giving them your credit card information to pay your bill.

They may also attempt to contact you by phone, claiming that your account payment is overdue or that your service will be disconnected. They may use high-pressure tactics and claim that immediate payment is required through digital currency (e.g. Bitcoin) or by prepaid credit card.

What you can do to protect yourself

If you receive an email or text that appears to be from FortisBC that you’re unsure about, do not:

• click on the links
• open attachments
• download pictures
• respond to the email/text, or forward it

Instead, contact us and we’ll confirm whether the email/text was from us or not. 

If you search on Google, read the search results and ads carefully. Use the report feature to alert Google of ads that may be scams. Visit our contact us page to find the phone number you need.

If you receive a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from FortisBC, the best thing to do is hang up and contact us to confirm if the call was valid. 

What you can expect from FortisBC digital communications

If you receive a valid email from FortisBC, it will be in response to a request or inquiry you’ve already made with us that requires one of our customer service representatives to contact you. We don’t send unsolicited text or SMS messages to customers or post fraudulent information on social media. If we’re issuing you a refund, it will be through a credit on your account, or a cheque that is mailed to you.

FortisBC will never ask you for your:

• social insurance number
• driver’s licence number
• passwords
• financial information by email or text
• payment through digital currency or prepaid credit card

Door-to-door scams

FortisBC does not solicit door-to-door. From time-to-time, a FortisBC representative could come to your door if there is an issue with reading or accessing your meter, a gas disruption or emergency, or to notify you of construction work in your area. We are there to provide information or assistance only, not to come into your home to upgrade or sell you appliances.

Unannounced salespeople at your door

From time to time, salespeople from other companies may come to your door unannounced and use the FortisBC name to establish a point of trust with you. Using high-pressure sales tactics, they may ask to see your furnace, other appliances or your FortisBC bill. These visits can happen just before heating and cooling season – so before spring and in the fall. We encourage you to contact us if you are concerned or suspicious of the unannounced salesperson.

What you can expect from a FortisBC visit

If you're not expecting a visit from a FortisBC representative and a person knocks on your door claiming to be with FortisBC, ask to see their ID and contact us.

Note: FortisBC representatives will always carry valid identification.

We will never visit your home or business asking to see your furnace, other appliances, your bill or offer any types of services or products. We also don’t perform unscheduled inspections on home or business equipment. The only times we may come to your door is when there’s a natural gas disruption/outage or emergency.

How to protect yourself from a door to door or digital scam.