Don’t pay for meters via MoMo – ECG warns customers
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has issued a warning to customers about fraudsters posing as company officials and demanding payments via mobile money for services such as meter installation, replacement or debt cancellation.
The advisory follows a surge in complaints from customers who reported receiving unsolicited phone calls from unknown individuals requesting payments in exchange for services that ECG provides directly.
According to Ing. George Amoah, General Manager of ECG in the Ashanti West Region, the company does not operate or transact business through any mobile money account. He urged customers to disregard such demands, describing them as fraudulent schemes aimed at exploiting unsuspecting members of the public.
“They reach out to customers via social media or phone calls and ask them to make a payment to certain mobile money numbers for their meters to be installed or replaced. In some instances, they claim it’s an installation fee and even impersonate ECG officials like the District Manager, accountant or Technical Officer,” Ing. Amoah explained.
He emphasised that ECG has rolled out a cashless system where all transactions are conducted solely through the ECG PowerApp or the official shortcode *226#, ensuring secure, direct payments without additional mobile money charges.
Citing recent cases, Ing. Amoah disclosed that fraudsters nearly duped a customer who had applied for a meter.
The customer was asked to pay GHS900 for installation and later an extra GHS500 to the mobile money number 0508058638.
Fortunately, the customer became suspicious and verified the information at ECG’s Adum office before further losses.
In another case, an elderly man at Breman was deceived into paying GHS2,000 to fraudsters, who subsequently refused to answer his calls.
“These fraudulent activities have been reported in areas such as Adum, Kokoben, Suame, Danyame, Abuakwa and Ahinsan, with fraudsters using numbers like 0531807230, 0508790801, 0543803302 and 0532752541,” he added.
To guide customers, Ing. Amoah outlined the proper procedure for acquiring a new meter.
Customers must first complete wiring with a certified electrician, submit their application forms at an ECG office and pay a GHS100 registration fee.
Once a quotation is generated, an SMS with a unique ECG code will be sent, specifying the amount due. Customers can then make payments independently via the ECG PowerApp or in person at ECG offices.
“ECG will never call to demand that you send money to a personal account or mobile number. Replacement of faulty meters is absolutely free, so no one should pay for such services,” he stressed.
Addressing concerns about meter shortages, Ing. Amoah assured the public that under the Loss Reduction Project (LRP), ECG has secured sufficient meters to meet demand and has begun replacing faulty ones to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
He appealed to customers to report suspicious calls immediately to the police or ECG offices, and urged the public to transact only through official ECG channels.
