Customers report losses of over $300,000 during 2024
OAKLAND,
Calif., July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Utility
scams have continued at an alarming rate during 2024, with Pacific
Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers reporting over $300,000 in losses to scammers. To stop this
trend, PG&E is committed to helping customers recognize the
signs of a scam and avoid falling victim.
A typical sign of a scam targeting a utility customer includes a
caller claiming to be from PG&E and threatening disconnection
if immediate payment is not made via a pre-paid debit card, digital
payment mobile application, or other methods of money transfer. As
a reminder, PG&E will never send a single notification to a
customer within one hour of a service interruption and will never
ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift
card, any form of cryptocurrency, or instant mobile
payment applications, like Zelle® or Venmo.
"Scammers seek to create a sense of panic, threatening
disconnection of utility services if immediate payment is not
made," said Matt Foley, lead
customer scam investigator for PG&E. "If a phone call, visit to
your home or email doesn't feel right, don't fall for it. Hang up,
shut the door or delete it. Remember, PG&E will never
ask for your financial information over the phone or via email, nor
will we request payment via pre-paid debit cards or other methods
of money transfer, including mobile applications."
During 2024, PG&E has received nearly 13,000 reports of
scams targeting residential and business customers with customers
reporting losses of over $313,000.
The average scam victim lost over $600, and nearly 500 customers have reported
falling victim. This number is likely just the tip of the iceberg
however, as many scams go unreported.
Business customers also are not immune from scam attempts. In
fact, PG&E has received nearly 400 reports of scams targeting
small and medium-sized businesses, and these attempts frequently
occur during busy business hours when scammers hope to catch
unsuspecting victims while they are distracted or stressed.
Another recent scam trend involves scammers creating fake
websites which provide a fraudulent phone number when you search
services related to PGE such as "bill pay" or "start/stop" service.
These sites and phone numbers often appear when a handheld device
is used to search for and contact PGE. As a reminder, customers
looking to contact PG&E should either call our customer service
number, 800-743-5000 or by logging into your account at
www.pge.com.
Scammers can be convincing and often target those who are most
vulnerable, including senior citizens and low-income communities.
They also aim their scams at small business owners during busy
customer service hours. However, with the right information,
customers can learn to detect and report these predatory scams by
visiting www.pge.com/scams or by calling 1-833-500-SCAM.
Signs of a potential scam
- Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively demand
immediate payment for an alleged past due bill.
- Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct the
customer to purchase a prepaid card, then call them back supposedly
to make a bill payment.
- Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back,
the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card's number, which
grants the scammer instant access to the card's funds.
- Refund or rebate offers: Scammers may say that your
utility company overbilled you and owes you a refund, or that you
are entitled to a rebate, and ask you for your personal financial
information.
- Scammers Impersonating Trusted Phone Numbers: Scammers
are now able to create authentic-looking 800 numbers which appear
on your phone display. The numbers don't lead back to PG&E if
called back, however, so if you have doubts, hang up and either log
into your account at pge.com to confirm your bill details or call
PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM. If customers ever feel that they are in
physical danger, they should call 911.
How customers can protect themselves
- Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service
disconnection or shutoff. PG&E does not specify how customers
should make a bill payment and offers a variety of ways to pay a
bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank
draft, mail or in person.
- If a scammer threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of
service without prior notification, customers should hang up the
phone, delete the email, or shut the door. Customers with
delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification,
typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill.
- Signing up for an online account at pge.com is another
safeguard. Not only can customers log in to check their balance and
payment history, they can also sign up for recurring payments,
paperless billing and helpful alerts.
- Customers who suspect that they have been victims of
fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one
of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement. The
Federal Trade Commission's website is also a good source of
information about how to protect personal information.
For more information about scams, visit pge.com/scams or
https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a
subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined
natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million
people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company