For six months, a 38-year-old man from the greater Lisbon area posed as an employee of the Madeira Electricity Company (EEM), calling various client companies to demand payment for fake debts. Using the threat of cutting off their power, he convinced them to transfer a total of 24,181 euros. He was arrested by the Judiciary Police on the 10th of July 2025 and placed in pre-trial detention. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the District of Madeira has confirmed that he has now been formally charged.
The defendant is set to appear in the Funchal court for 23 counts of qualified fraud. According to the Public Prosecutor, the incidents took place between the 2nd of December 2024, and the 5th of June 2025. Operating from the greater Lisbon area, he allegedly posed as an employee of the Madeira Electricity Company, calling several Madeiran businesses to claim they owed hundreds of euros in energy debts. During these calls, he reportedly warned that power would be cut off unless the debt was paid immediately, then provided payment references he had obtained from payment platforms, directing the funds to himself.
Many of those contacted immediately paid the requested amounts for fear of being disconnected.
Be aware that two other scams are currently making the rounds. One is a WhatsApp message saying, “Hello Dad, my phone isn’t working, can you contact me on this number,” and the other involves SNS payments, typically for €16.71, which is also circulating right now.
If you receive a message that you are not sure about, speak to someone you trust, go to the police, or check online platforms – Chat GPT is quite up to date on current scams.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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