As the number of scams targeting utility customers continue at an alarming rate, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is joining Utilities United Against Scams to help customers recognize potential scams as part of Utility Scam Awareness Day on Nov. 16.
In fact, during 2022 PG&E has received over 23,000 reports from customers who were targeted by scammers impersonating the company, and customers have lost nearly $1.3 million in fraudulent payments. This number marks a dramatic increase when compared to 2021, when there were just over 11,000 reports for the entire year. Unfortunately, these numbers do not capture the full extent of overall scam attempts, as many go unreported.
“Avoiding a scam is as simple as hanging up the phone. If you ever receive a call threatening disconnection if you do not make immediate payment, simply hang up and either call PG&E to confirm your account details or log onto your account on PGE.com. Remember, PG&E will never ask for you for your financial information over the phone or via email, nor will we request payment via pre-paid debit cards or other payment services like Zelle,” said Aaron Johnson, PG&E Bay Area regional vice president.
Scammers are opportunistic and look for times when customers may be distracted or stressed, and the holiday season provides a prime opportunity for them. PG&E will never send a single notification to a customer within one hour of a service interruption, and we will never ask customers to make payments…
