Northern utilities warn of scammers asking people for credit card info

Both Yukon Energy and Northland Utilities in the Northwest Territories say scammers are contacting their customers threatening to cut off power and demanding payment by credit card.

Northland Utilities, Yukon Energy say people are falsely identifying themselves as company reps

Guy Quenneville · CBC News · Posted: Jan 25, 2017 4:08 PM EST | Last Updated: January 25, 2017

The Yellowknife headquarters of Northland Utilities. Scammers are calling customers of the utility and asking for money via credit card. (CBC)

Rami Kassem was already having a really bad day.

The soft open of his post-security Javaroma kiosk at the Yellowknife airport terminal soured when the Interac machine didn't work. Later, just two minutes after delivering coffee to a catering client inside the Lahm Ridge Tower in Yellowknife, his car wouldn't start.

And that's when he got the call from a person claiming to represent Northland Utilities, the main power distributor in Yellowknife. The person said Javaroma owed Northland $748.62 for a newly-installed meter, and that the power at the restaurant — about to head into its morning rush — would be cut off unless Kassem provided credit card info to pay the supposed bill.

Rami Kassem was called by a person claiming to be from Northland Utilities Wednesday. The person threatened to cut off the power supply to Kassem's Yellowknife business, Javaroma, unless he ponied up $700. (Alyssa Mosher/CBC)

"I want to warn other businesses about this," says Kassem, who confirmed with Northland Utilities that the call was a scam.

"The MO of 'Give us something quick or something bad will happen' is certainly something that we run into a lot with the scammers, certainly a tell-tale sign," says RCMP Const. Samuel Holm.

Utilities aware of scam

Carla Howard, a spokesperson for Northland Utilities, says the company posted a notice about the scam on its website earlier this month.

"Please be aware that scammers claiming to represent Northland Utilities have contacted some customers in January 2017 regarding collection notices that are false," the notice reads.

Yukon Energy is also warning its customers, saying the same scam has been recurring two or three times a year over the last several years.

"If you get a call like this, please do not provide any credit card or banking information. It really is a scam and just protect yourself," says spokesperson Janet Patterson.

Customers of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation reported similar calls in 2015.

RELATED: RCMP, N.W.T. Power Corp. warn of telephone scammers

Ties to Alberta

The person who contacted Kassem left a 1-800 number with him.

CBC News called that number, which was answered by an agent who said he worked for Enmax, a Calgary utility. A dog barked in the background. The agent said he was not aware of a call to Kassem.

Enmax has reported more than 150 cases in Alberta since January 2015 in which customers were contacted by people claiming to be from Enmax. The company has partnered with more than 80 other utilities to raise awareness about such scams.