Scammers are posing as ComEd employees, calling people, and demanding immediate payments so power isn’t shut off. They may claim there’s an overdue bill and that you can avoid any trouble by paying in Bitcoin. ComEd spokesman Tom Dominguez says that’s not how ComEd operates.

If you actually owe ComEd money and are in danger of having your electricity turned off, you’ll get a letter. You’ll also be asked to work out payments or get into a program that helps pay your utility bills. Dominguez says, unfortunately if you fall for a scam and pay with crypto-currency or a gift card, you can’t expect to get the money back.