The claim
A chain letter is circulating on social media, but its content is true: callers repeatedly pretend to be employees of the municipal utility and ask for sensitive data in order to then change the electricity provider on behalf of the customer.
Our conclusion
Not a fake: In most cases, such calls are so-called cold calls or cold calling: They are often permanent or freelance employees of another electricity company who use these unfair tricks to try to find new customers for a competing electricity or gas company win.
The electricity market is competitive because many providers mean a lot of competition. Some people also resort to unfair methods: They call consumers, pretend to be public utility employees and ask for the meter reading. The latest reason given is to guarantee a price cap.
The circulating chain letter
Chain letters on social media are very often pure scaremongering, but not this one:

The chain letter tells of a lady who called and pretended to be from the municipal utilities. In order to be able to use the price cap for electricity, she would need the customer number and meter readings of the person being called. The caller was rejected; a phone call with the municipal utilities revealed that the calls were phishing. The old contract will then be terminated and a new contract will be concluded with another electricity provider.
The chain letter as wording (sic!):
„DANGER!!
Unbelievable and it's getting worse!!! Hello, I just had a call from the municipal utilities. The lady told me that the price cap was coming and in order for me to benefit from this, she would need my customer number and the meter readings. I told the lady that she had to have these. She then said that she couldn't just access our data. I told her that I wasn't comfortable with this and I wasn't giving it to her. She then said not and that she would pass it on.
I then called the municipal utility and the nice lady said that these phishing calls were extremely extreme at the moment.
Once they have your information, they will use it to terminate your contract and sign a new one with their company. She said that unfortunately many older people had fallen for it (including bank account details). Copy the text and forward it
Please warn everyone, especially older people.
The employee from the municipal utilities said they never call and ask for data.
Do everything in writing!!! Warning!!!!!!!!! „
Note: There is now a modified form of this chain letter and the place “Troisdorf” is mentioned here, for example. There are probably more in circulation, with different place names.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Don't panic
In fact, calls like this have been happening for years. For example, in August 2021, the Baden-Baden public utilities warned against dubious attempts to lure people away by telephone. Accordingly, customers have recently been receiving more calls from energy suppliers who are supposedly cooperating with the municipal utilities. A tip is to ask callers for the meter number, because of course the real public utilities know this number, but the scammers don't.
In February 2022, the Schwäbisch-Hall and ENBW public utilities warned, and in May 2022, the Jena and Erfurt public utilities warned about these not infrequent calls.
What is behind the method
As a rule, municipal electricity suppliers do not ask for data over the telephone unless they explicitly respond to the request to be called, for example because they want to change the tariff. Therefore the rule of thumb applies: never respond to such unsolicited calls and do not provide any details!
In most cases, such calls are so-called cold calls: they are often permanent or freelance employees of another electricity company who are trying to use these unfair tricks to win new customers for a competing electricity or gas company.
Their advantage: As soon as they have acquired a new customer in this way, they collect the commission. It is not clear to the new provider how the new customer was recruited, but usually only finds out through complaint calls from the new customers that they switched to the provider using unfair methods.
I have provided my details – what can I do?
It is important to check mail and emails regularly, because the new electricity provider will send a welcome letter stating when the new contract is valid. The consumer advice center advises:
You have a 14-day right of cancellation if you have concluded a contract over the telephone or at the front door. Since July 27, 2021, special contracts can no longer be concluded by telephone. An energy supply contract outside of the basic supply must be in text form. This means that both contracting parties must submit their respective contractual declaration (offer and acceptance) in text form. The text form is adhered to, for example, through contract declarations by letter, fax, email or SMS. It is still possible to initiate a contract by telephone.
The cancellation period only begins on the day the contract is concluded if you were also properly (formally correctly) informed about your right to cancel when the contract was concluded. If the instruction is given late (after the contract has been concluded), the cancellation period of 14 days will not begin until the instruction is received.
As long as you have not been properly informed about your right of withdrawal, the deadline for your withdrawal is one year and 14 days from the conclusion of the contract.
It is best to submit your cancellation to the new supplier in writing by fax (for example from a copy shop) or registered mail. Emails are not suitable.
In addition, the previous electricity provider should be informed immediately that you are not willing to change and that you have not authorized anyone to terminate the contract.
Article image: Pixabay
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Note: This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication
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