Fake National Grid Calls Target Massachusetts Accounts
Operators paying National Grid bills should verify any shutoff or past-due demand through their own account channels before sending money.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Utilities
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Scammers posing as National Grid are calling municipal utility customers across Greater Boston, falsely claiming past-due accounts and threatening immediate service disruption. National Grid has issued a public alert warning customers about the phone scam.
Why it matters
The scam exploits urgency and a fabricated account balance to pressure customers into paying immediately through untraceable channels. For businesses operating in Massachusetts, the episode is a reminder that payment-fraud calls can impersonate essential vendors, and that accounts-payable and front-desk staff are common entry points.
Reports of the scam have been recorded in five Greater Boston communities, with the first reported in Danvers. The source does not provide call volumes, dollar losses, or how many customers have been affected.
The players
National Grid
A major utility company that delivers electricity and natural gas to customers across Massachusetts and the surrounding region, and whose impersonation is central to the scam.
The details
Callers use spoofed phone numbers so that caller ID displays National Grid, then claim the customer's account is past due and threaten immediate disconnection. Some callers also cite a pending merger as the reason for the contact. Legitimate National Grid billing does not demand immediate payment through prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or third-party payment apps, and disconnection is not carried out without prior written notice.
Timeline
Scam reports first surfaced in Danvers, with later reports in Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield, and North Reading.
The source article warning of the scam's spread across Greater Boston was published on November 4, 2026.
Market Landscape
Utility impersonation scams that pressure customers with threats of immediate shutoff and demands for untraceable payment follow a recurring pattern in which fraudsters borrow the identity of a regulated provider. National Grid's public alert places the warning within the broader practice of utilities communicating directly with customers about fraud.
Businesses with utility accounts should verify any past-due or disconnection notice by calling the number printed on their own bill, not one provided by a caller. Accounts-payable and reception staff should be told that payment demands by phone, especially via gift cards or cryptocurrency, are a fraud signal.
The takeaway
Treat any unsolicited call demanding immediate payment as suspect, and route verification through the utility's official account channels. Staff training that covers payment-method red flags is a low-cost control worth adding to accounts-payable procedures.
Further reading
For related context on how utilities are regulated and how customers are protected, explore the Utilities section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
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