A fake electricity bill scam in Pakistan starts with a message that feels urgent: your power will be cut off tonight unless you pay now, or a subsidy is waiting for you if you click a link and enter your details. The message may name your electricity supplier — LESCO, K-Electric, IESCO or another distribution company — and it may look official. But it is not from your supplier at all. It is a trap built to steal your money, your personal details or the one-time passwords (OTPs) your bank sends you.
These scams work because almost every household in Pakistan has an electricity connection, so the message applies to nearly everyone who receives it. The threat of losing power tonight is designed to make you skip every normal check you would otherwise do before paying a bill.
How the scam works
The scam usually follows one of three patterns:
- The disconnection threat. You receive an SMS or WhatsApp message warning that your power will be disconnected within hours because of an unpaid or un-updated bill. It includes a link to pay, or a phone number to call. The person on the phone sounds official, may know your address, and pressures you to pay immediately through JazzCash, Easypaisa or a bank transfer to a personal account.
- The fake subsidy link. A message or social media post offers a government electricity subsidy and asks you to click a link and enter your personal information, step by step. After you enter the details, it asks for a six-digit verification code on the same link. In May 2026, the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division warned consumers about exactly this pattern — fake subsidy links and QR codes used to steal personal information. The Power Division said consumers should never enter personal information, digitally or on paper, to obtain an electricity subsidy.
- The fake inspection notice. Fraudsters posing as officials of the electricity company send fake inspection notices claiming your meter is faulty and that extra charges will be added to your bill. The notices carry mobile numbers for so-called inspection officials, and callers are pressured to transfer large sums through mobile apps to “resolve” the issue. LESCO warned consumers about this in Lahore, where such notices were sent to domestic and commercial consumers, especially in upscale neighbourhoods.
In each version, the payment or the personal information goes to the criminals, not to your electricity supplier. A real disconnection is never announced by a same-day SMS with a payment link, and a real subsidy never asks you to enter your details and a verification code on an unknown link.
Why this scam is so dangerous
- It uses panic as the weapon. A deadline of a few hours stops people from checking the bill, calling the official helpline or asking a family member. The urgency is the scam.
- It reaches everyone. Unlike a bank-specific scam, a fake electricity message is relevant to almost every home, so even careful people can be caught off guard.
- It targets the least protected. People who do not check their bills online, including elderly relatives, are the most likely to trust a message that looks official.
- The payment cannot be recovered. Money sent to a personal JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account is very hard to get back once the transfer is made.
What the authorities are saying
The Power Division’s May 2026 advisory warned that criminals were using fake QR codes and suspicious links related to electricity bill subsidies, asking consumers for personal information and then a six-digit verification code. The advisory called these methods illegal and fraudulent.
LESCO and the Power Information Technology Company (PITC), which handles LESCO complaints, warn consumers never to send money for bills, meters, repairs or a new connection to a person’s JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account. LESCO staff do not need your OTP or PIN. LESCO’s official helpline is 118, and complaints can also be sent by SMS to 8118.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has also renewed its fraud advisory, telling mobile users to refuse to share a CNIC number, an OTP or a password with anyone they did not contact themselves, and to avoid unfamiliar links in SMS and messaging apps. PTA lists a complaint form at complaint.pta.gov.pk and a toll-free number 0800-55055.
Red flags to watch for
- An SMS or WhatsApp message threatening disconnection within hours, or on the same day.
- A payment link, or a phone number to call, that is not from your supplier’s official channels.
- A demand to pay through a personal JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account instead of the official bill payment channels.
- A message asking for your CNIC number, OTP, PIN or a six-digit verification code.
- A “subsidy” offer that asks you to enter personal details and a code on an unknown link or QR code.
- An inspection notice claiming your meter is faulty and demanding money to avoid a penalty.
- Spelling mistakes, a private mobile number as the sender, or a sender name that is close to but not exactly your supplier’s name.
Any one of these is reason to stop and check through the official channel.
How to protect yourself
- Never click a payment link in an unsolicited message. No real electricity supplier sends a direct payment link by SMS that demands immediate action under threat of disconnection. Delete the message.
- Check your bill status only through official channels. Use your supplier’s official app or website, or call the number printed on your physical bill. For LESCO, that number is 118, and complaints can go by SMS to 8118. Never use the number inside a suspicious message.
- Never pay a personal account for a bill. Bills are paid through official channels — banks, official apps and authorised payment points. A request to send money to a personal JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account is a scam.
- Never share your CNIC, OTP or PIN. Your electricity supplier never needs your OTP or PIN. Anyone asking for them is a scammer, even if the message looks official.
- Do not enter personal details for a “subsidy”. There is no official subsidy that asks you to enter your details and a verification code on a link or QR code sent by message. If you hear about a real subsidy, check it on the Power Division’s or your supplier’s official website first.
- Verify inspection notices directly. If you receive an inspection notice, do not call the number on it. Contact your supplier through the helpline printed on your bill and ask whether any inspection is scheduled.
- Warn elderly relatives. Explain the disconnection-threat trick to older family members, who are the most common targets, and agree that no bill is ever paid from a message without checking the official bill first.
- If you already paid or shared details, act fast. Call your bank or wallet provider at once to try to block the transaction, change any passwords or PINs you shared, and report the fraud to the NCCIA (National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency) helpline 1799 or at complaint.nccia.gov.pk, and to PTA at complaint.pta.gov.pk or 0800-55055.
A fake electricity bill scam in Pakistan is part of a wider wave of phone fraud — from fake PTA tax SMS scams and bank helpline scams to courier SMS fraud, fake ‘free solar panel’ scheme messages and fake banking apps. The delivery method changes, but the defence stays the same: your supplier’s real bill is checked through its official app, website or helpline — never through a link or a number in an unexpected message. If a message threatens to cut your power tonight unless you pay now, that message itself is the scam.