Dekhbhaal › Common scams › Electricity bill

"Your electricity will be cut tonight": is it a scam?

Yes, it is a scam. A message from an ordinary 10-digit mobile number saying the power will be cut tonight unless you call an "electricity officer" is not from your electricity board. Don't call the number, don't tap any link, and don't install any app. Check the bill on the board's own website or app instead.

Last updated 21 October 2026, by the Dekhbhaal team.

What the message says

"Dear Consumer, your electricity power will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm because your previous month bill was not updated. Please immediately contact our electricity officer 98XXXXXXXX. Thank you."

When your parent calls, a polite "officer" says the bill can be updated in two minutes. They ask your parent to pay a small amount, ₹10 or ₹50, through a link, or to install an app such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer or a "bill update" app. The small payment is how they get the card details. The app lets them see and control the phone, including the OTPs that arrive on it. Then the account is emptied.

How to tell it's a fraud

It comes from a personal mobile number, not the board's named sender.
It gives a deadline tonight. Real disconnection comes after a written notice, not a midnight SMS.
It asks you to call an officer. Boards don't send their officers' mobile numbers.
It asks you to install an app or share your screen. No real bill needs that.

What to do right now

Don't call back. Delete the message.
To check if a bill is really due, open the electricity board's own website or app, or look at the last paper bill. Pay only there.
If an app was installed, turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi, uninstall the app, and call the bank on its official number to block the cards.
Report the number on Chakshu at sancharsaathi.gov.in.

If money has already gone

Call 1930 now. It is India's national cyber-fraud helpline. The first hour matters most: the sooner 1930 hears, the better the chance the money can be held before it moves on.
Call the bank on the number printed on the back of the card or in the bank's own app, and ask them to block the card or account.
File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, with the number that called, the time, and any screenshots.
Report the number on Chakshu, at sancharsaathi.gov.in, so it can be checked and cut off.

And tell your parent it is not their fault. These callers do this all day, and they are good at it. A parent who feels foolish is less likely to tell you next time.

How Dekhbhaal helps

Dekhbhaal is an AI caretaker on your parent's phone, for sons and daughters who live far away. Your parent shares the SMS or a screenshot with Dekhbhaal and asks "Ye sahi hai?" It says this is a fraud, tells them not to call or install anything, and you hear about the near miss at once. For a real bill reminder, it says what's due and by when, and the official way to pay. How the scam guard works.

Questions

Do electricity boards send SMS before disconnecting?

Boards do send bill reminders, from their own named sender, and they cut supply only after notice. They never ask you to call an officer's mobile number or install an app to avoid a disconnection tonight.

Why do they ask for only ₹10?

The small amount makes it feel harmless. Paying it through their link gives them the card details, or the app they had you install lets them read the OTPs that arrive on the phone.

An app like AnyDesk was installed. What should we do?

Turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi, uninstall the app, and call the bank on the number on the back of the card to block it. If any money has gone, call 1930 at once.

Other scams to know

Dekhbhaal will never ask for an OTP, money or bank details. Anyone who does is a scammer, even if they say they are Dekhbhaal. In an emergency, call 112.