BTA Admin The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has warned customers nationwide against fraudsters posing as ECG staff or agents to sell fake electricity meters and demand payments through personal mobile money accounts.
The company says customers should never send money to private MoMo numbers for electricity services, stressing that all official payments must be made through ECG-approved channels.
ECG General Manager for External Communications, Dr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, said the company operates a fully cashless payment system and does not authorise individuals to collect payments through personal mobile money wallets.
“All payments must go through the ECG Power App or the shortcode *226#,” Dr Ayiku said.
He explained that money sent to a personal MoMo number does not reach ECG and will not be credited to the customer’s electricity account.
Fraudsters Selling Fake Meters
According to ECG, one of the schemes involves individuals pretending to be ECG employees or authorised agents and offering to supply and install new meters for customers in exchange for payment.
Some fraudsters are also advertising meters on WhatsApp, TikTok and other social media platforms before asking interested customers to transfer money.
In some cases, customers receive unregistered meters, which could subsequently be treated by ECG as part of an illegal connection.
“ECG does not sell meters through individuals,” Dr Ayiku said.
Customers who need new meters or other electricity services have therefore been advised to deal directly with ECG through its district offices and official digital platforms.
Fake ECG Calls Used to Collect MoMo Payments
ECG also warned about another scheme involving phone calls from people claiming to be company employees.
A fraudster may tell a customer that their meter is ready or that an electricity service requires payment, before providing a personal MoMo number.
Dr Ayiku said genuine ECG staff do not ask customers to pay into personal mobile money wallets.
He urged customers to treat such calls as potential fraud attempts and verify the information through official ECG channels before making any payment.
Fraudsters Use Urgency to Pressure Customers
According to ECG, fraudsters often create a sense of urgency to prevent potential victims from taking time to verify their claims.
Customers are therefore encouraged to stop and confirm any unexpected request for payment or personal information before taking action.
ECG has advised customers to follow these precautions:
- Never send money to a personal MoMo number provided by someone claiming to be an ECG employee.
- Do not buy electricity meters from individuals, WhatsApp contacts or social media advertisements.
- Make electricity payments only through the ECG Power App or *226#.
- Keep PINs, passwords and verification codes confidential.
- Ask anyone visiting a home or business on behalf of ECG to produce a valid staff identification card.
- End suspicious calls and report the numbers to ECG and the police.
ECG: Use Only Official Payment Channels
The company has reiterated that customers should verify electricity-related services before making payments.
Dr Ayiku urged the public to rely on ECG’s official channels rather than individuals advertising meters or requesting payments through private mobile money accounts.
“Pay only through the ECG Power App or *226#,” he said, warning customers to treat other payment requests as potential fraud and report them.
