National Grid Phone Scam Targets Greater Boston
Scammers posing as National Grid are calling municipal utility customers demanding immediate payment across the region.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Utilities
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Callers falsely claiming to represent National Grid are phoning utility customers and threatening service disruption over a supposedly past-due account. The scam was first reported in Danvers and has since been reported in Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield, and North Reading.
Why it matters
The calls use spoofed numbers that appear to come from National Grid, making them difficult to recognize. National Grid says it will never demand immediate payment through prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or third-party payment apps.
Reports of the scam have come from five Greater Boston communities: Danvers, Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield, and North Reading. The total number of affected customers and any financial losses have not been disclosed.
The players
National Grid
National Grid is a multinational electricity and gas utility whose Massachusetts service territory is the target of the impersonation calls.
The details
Callers say the customer's account is past due and threaten immediate service disruption unless payment is made. Red flags include threats of disconnection without prior written notice and requests for personal, financial, or account information. Some callers also falsely cite a pending merger as the reason for contacting customers.
Timeline
Scam calls tied to a claimed pending National Grid merger have been reported with no specific date given.
Article warning of the scam spreading across Greater Boston was published November 4, 2026.
Industry Context
The National Grid calls follow the established pattern of utility impersonation scams that pressure customers with disconnection threats and untraceable payment methods. Scammers exploit the urgency of possible power loss to push victims into paying before they can verify the claim.
Customers should never pay a utility bill under threat of immediate disconnection or through prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or third-party apps. Verify any payment demand by calling National Grid directly using a number from your official bill or the company's website.
The takeaway
A utility will not demand immediate payment through untraceable methods, so any caller who does should be treated as a likely scammer. Hanging up and contacting the utility through its official channels is the safest response.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore more Utilities news from across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
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