The claim
Texts saying your electricity or other utility service is about to be disconnected unless you act at once, the pattern police in Dothan, Alabama warned about on 16 September 2026, are genuine notices from your utility company.
How this check was done
Researched on 26 September 2026. This reviews a documented scam pattern using a police warning from Dothan, Alabama, reported on 16 September 2026, and guidance from the US Federal Trade Commission. We did not examine a specific message.
What the messages say
A text or call says your electricity, gas or water will be cut off today. It may say a technician is on the way. It tells you to pay straight away or call a number to stop it, sometimes by gift card, cryptocurrency, a payment app or a money transfer.
Why it is a scam
Police in Dothan said technicians do not text customers about shutoffs. The FTC says real utility companies won't demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection, and won't insist on gift cards, cryptocurrency, payment apps or money transfers. These warnings come from the US, but the same advice applies wherever you live.
What to do
Do not reply, click or call the number in the message. Call your utility company on the number printed on your bill, or log in to your account on its website by typing the address yourself. Never pay a bill with gift cards or cryptocurrency. If you paid or shared card details, call your bank straight away.
The evidence record
The warning from Dothan police.
The Dothan Police Department warned of texts impersonating the City of Dothan and Dothan Utilities that claimed a technician was preparing to disconnect services. Police said the messages are fake and that utility technicians do not contact customers by text about shutoffs. They urged residents not to reply or call any number in the texts, and to check their account with Dothan Utilities through official channels. [dothan]
Limits: Reported by WTVY. It concerns one city's utility, and we did not see a copy of the text.
Sources: dothan
What the FTC says about utility scams.
The FTC says scammers contact people by call, text, email or in person and threaten to shut off gas, electric or water service unless they pay immediately, often insisting on wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment apps or gift cards. It says real utility companies won't demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection, and advises checking with your utility using the contact details on your bill. [ftc]
Limits: US guidance; utility rules differ between countries.
Sources: ftc
What the warnings mean for the claim.
Both sources describe the same features: an unexpected message, a threat of disconnection the same day, and a push to pay or call a number at once. Police say technicians do not text about shutoffs, and the FTC says real utilities do not demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection. A message with these features cannot show that a disconnection is real. [dothan] [ftc]
Limits: A pattern finding. Utilities do send genuine bills and reminders; check any real problem through the contact details on your bill.
Our conclusion
FAKE: an unexpected text or call threatening to cut off your utility today unless you pay or call a number at once matches a documented scam pattern and is not proof of a real disconnection. This is not a verdict on every message from a utility company.
Confidence and limitations
Strong confidence in the pattern as documented by police and the FTC. A specific message needs its own check.
We did not see a copy of the Dothan text; details come from a news report. Both sources are from the US. Genuine bills and reminders exist; check them only through the contact details on your bill.
Methods, technical checks and limitations
Source and provenance
The pattern is documented in a police warning reported by WTVY on 16 September 2026 and in FTC consumer guidance. No specific message was examined.
Media analysis
No message or image was examined.
Metadata and technical findings
Not applicable: no file was examined.
Reverse-image and source matching
No reverse image search was run, because no specific message was available.
Detector and tool signals
No AI detector was run.
Independent evidence
A news report of a police warning and official guidance from the US consumer protection agency.
Sources and further reading
- Dothan police issue urgent scam warning
WTVY News4 · news report of an official police warning · Accessed 2026-09-26
Source published: 2026-09-16
- Scammers pretend to be your utility company
Federal Trade Commission · official consumer protection guidance · Accessed 2026-09-26
Updates and corrections
- 26 September 2026 — First publication following human review.