The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has cautioned customers against falling victim to mobile money fraud schemes that demand payments for meter installation, replacement, debt cancellation, or other services.

According to the General Manager of ECG, Ing. George Amoah, the company has received numerous complaints from customers who have been deceived into paying money to fraudsters.

He stressed that ECG does not operate any mobile money account and urged customers to disregard anyone demanding payment through such channels.

Explaining how the fraudsters operate during a media engagement on September 8, 2025, Ing. Amoah said, “They reach out to customers via social media or phone calls and instruct them to make payments to certain mobile money numbers for meter installation or replacement. In some instances, they claim it’s an installation fee and impersonate ECG officials such as District Managers, accountants, or Technical Officers.”

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The General Manager further emphasised that all legitimate transactions must be initiated only through the ECG PowerApp or shortcode *226#, which allows payments without mobile money charges.

He assured that ECG is working closely with security agencies to track and arrest the fraudsters.

“Just last week, some fraudsters called a customer who had applied for a meter with ECG and demanded GH¢900 for installation. After the customer paid, the fraudsters requested an additional GH¢500 as an installation fee to the mobile money number 0508058638.

“The customer then became suspicious and visited our Adum office for clarification, only to realise these individuals were not ECG officials. They stopped answering his calls after receiving the money.

“In another case at Breman, an elderly man paid GH¢2,000 to fraudsters who also stopped picking up his calls after receiving the funds. We are liaising with the security agencies to bring these perpetrators to book,” Ing. Amoah explained.

He noted that such incidents have been reported in Adum, Kokoben, Suame, Danyame, Abuakwa, and Ahinsan districts, with fraudsters using numbers including 0531807230, 0508790801, 0543803302, and 0532752541.

How to apply for an ECG meter

Ing. Amoah explained that the proper procedure for applying for a meter is as follows; customers must complete wiring with certified electricians, submit the relevant forms to an ECG office, and pay a registration fee of GH¢100.

“Once the quotation is ready, you will receive an SMS from ECG with a unique code stating how much to pay, depending on the service requested. If you choose to pay via the ECG PowerApp, you will initiate the transaction yourself. ECG will never call to demand money to be sent to a personal mobile money account,” he stated.

He further clarified that replacing faulty meters is free of charge and urged customers not to pay anyone who demands money for this service.

ECG also dismissed claims of meter shortages, noting that under the Loss Reduction Project, the company has secured enough meters to meet customer demand. The initiative also includes replacing faulty meters to improve customer satisfaction, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce losses.

SSD/MA