Montreal’s ice storm leads to a surge in Hydro-Québec scam attempts

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Last week, a freak ice storm hit Quebec, particularly Montreal, causing severe damage and power outages. Unfortunately, scammers have already taken advantage of the situation and will continue. Hydro-Quebec is advising its clients to be cautious and not fall for any scams that might come their way.

Please note that Hydro-Québec, in the absence of gross or intentional fault, does not offer compensation for losses incurred due to an outage. Hydro-Québec may interrupt electricity service anytime for system maintenance or safety reasons. 

According to Hydro-Quebec’s (HQ) website, in the event of a planned service interruption, they make every effort to inform their customers in advance through robocalls and telephone notifications. HQ advises contacting your insurer if you experience any loss due to an outage. You can find more information on this matter in sections 12.1 and 12.2 of Hydro-Québec’s Conditions of Service, which have been approved by the Régie de l’énergie [PDF 5 MB].

HQ would like to remind you that if you receive a text message or any suspicious communication claiming Hydro-Québec is offering compensation or money, please report it immediately and delete it. Please be vigilant and do not fall for any such scams.

Hydro-Quebec is NOT sending anyone money.

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Terry Cutler

I’m Terry Cutler, the creator of Internet Safety University, an educational system helping to defend corporations and individuals against growing cyber threats. I’m a federal government-cleared cybersecurity expert (a Certified Ethical Hacker), and the founder of Cyology Labs, a first-line security defence firm headquartered in Montréal, Canada. In 2020, I wrote a bestselling book about the secrets of internet safety from the viewpoint of an ethical hacker. I’m a frequent contributor to National & Global media coverage about cyber-crime, spying, security failures, internet scams, and social network dangers families and individuals face daily.