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A record number of fraudsters tried to prey upon or B.C. Hydro customers in 2018, the utility said Friday morning.

A record 2,004 fraud attempts by people claiming to be B.C. Hydro employees were reported, with 85 of them being successful (for the fraudster), a success rate 50-per-cent higher than in 2017 and leaving victims almost $45,000 out of pocket, the company said.

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Beginning in 2014 when the scam began picking up momentum, B.C. Hydro has received almost 6,000 reports from customers who were contacted by con artists, including the record number in 2018.

While every corner of the province has experienced some attempt at the fraud, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Surrey, Vernon, Burnaby and Richmond are the most targeted communities, the company said.

“While these numbers are significant, they likely underrepresent the scale of the problem as it is believed most attempted and successful scams are not reported,” a spokesman said.