Hawaiian Electric Utility Scam Threatens Disconnection Unless Bitcoin Bill is Paid

It’s a case of an old scam in a new wineskin.

Customers of electric utility companies in the state of Hawaii are being targeted by scammers who are relying on the relative anonymity offered by cryptocurrencies.

The fraudsters are calling the customers of power firms that include Hawaii Electric Light, Maui Electric and Hawaiian Electric claiming that they have overdue bills. Further, the customers who include businesses are being threatened with immediate disconnection if the bills are not paid promptly using bitcoin.

Hundreds of Dollars Already Lost

According to Khon 2, a television station, reports of the scam started emerging earlier this month.  Per Utilities United Against Scams, a consortium of over 100 electric, natural gas, and water utilities in the United States and Canada, hundreds of fraudulent calls have so far been reported. In one of the islands in Hawaii, O’ahu, three businesses have already fallen victim to the scam and have ended up paying hundreds of…