Harris County woman warns of unusual utility scam seeking home access

A Houston-area woman says a caller claiming to represent a company called Dynamic Energy tried to turn a utility pitch into a home entry, telling her trucks would soon be in her neighborhood checking for high electric usage and weatherization problems. The woman, identified only as Anne, said the first warning sign came fast: the caller referred to a grid operator called ECORP, a name she recognized as wrong because Texas’ grid operator is ERCOT.

The second warning sign was more serious. The caller wanted someone inside Anne’s house to inspect the attic. Anne contacted Harris County Precinct 5, and she said authorities were not familiar with the scheme. Houston police and the Better Business Bureau said the same, describing it as unusual because it went beyond the phone calls and door knocks commonly used in utility impersonation scams.

ERCOT said it manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers, or about 90% of the state’s electric load, but it does not provide retail electric services to consumer end users and does not own generation or transmission and distribution assets. The agency also says residents with questions about electric service, including outages, should contact their electric utility or retail electric provider using the number on the electric bill. ERCOT said it does not send contractors to private homes.

The BBB says utility impostor scams often arrive by phone, text or door knock, and scammers may threaten to cut off service unless payment is made immediately. The bureau defines impersonation scams as schemes in which a scammer pretends to be a trustworthy organization or person to steal money or personal information. In this case, the concern went beyond payment. A request for attic access could give a scammer the chance to look for valuables, gather personal information or set up another crime once inside.

For Harris County residents, the safest response is to slow the encounter down. Do not let anyone into the home without verifying the visit through the phone number printed on the electric bill, not a number provided by the caller or worker. If a person claims to represent a utility and asks for entry, call the electric utility or retail electric provider directly, and if the approach seems suspicious, contact local law enforcement before opening the door.

The Harris County Attorney’s Office runs Stay Scam Free, a consumer-fraud initiative aimed at educating and protecting families. Harris County also offers fraud-reporting resources through the auditor’s office and other county portals, a reminder that officials still treat utility impersonation and related scams as an active threat in neighborhoods across Houston and Harris County.