With Reports of Utility Scams Increasing Every Day, PG&E Wants to Help Customers Take Steps to Protect Themselves from Falling Victim
November 15 2021 - 12:10PM
Business Wire
To Promote Awareness of this Growing Menace,
PG&E Reminds the Public that November 14-20 is Utility Scam
Awareness Week
Every day across the country, electric and natural gas
customers, along with telephone, water and other essential services
customers, are being targeted by scammers impersonating utilities,
typically online, in-person and by telephone. In fact, during
September and October, the number of attempted scams reported to
PG&E increased by 65%. To help protect customers against this
threat, PG&E is joining its fellow electric, natural gas, water
utilities and Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) to help
customers recognize potential scams during Utility Scam Awareness
Week from November 14-20, 2021.
UUAS, a consortium of more than 145 U.S. and Canadian electric,
water, and natural gas utilities and their respective trade
associations, continues to create awareness of common scams and new
scam tactics being used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its
work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has succeeded in
taking nearly 9,500 toll-free numbers used by scammers against
utility customers out of operation.
“Scammers are constantly changing their tactics and tricks, so
awareness and reporting are more important than ever. All of us
have to continue to evolve our safeguards and approaches to keeping
our customers safe,” said Chris Zenner, vice president, PG&E
residential services and digital channels. “If an email, visit to
your home or phone call doesn’t feel right, don’t fall for it.
Delete it, shut the door or hang up. And, as a reminder, PG&E
will never ask for your financial
information over the phone or via email.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers have increased calls,
texts, emails, and in-person tactics and are constantly contacting
utility customers asking for immediate payment to avoid service
disconnection. As a reminder, 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 with
a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or
third-party digital payment mobile applications.
“Scammers have not shown compassion for small businesses and
private citizens enduring the trying circumstances of the last two
years,” said Jared Lawrence, UUAS founder and Duke Energy Vice
President of Metering Services and Customer Service Transformation.
“In fact, they have intensified their criminal activity with high
pressure tactics and increasing use of technology. For that reason,
utilities continue to unite to combat scammers by spreading
awareness and are working with telecom partners to remove access to
phone lines and encouraging policymakers to adopt stronger public
protections.”
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.
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.
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 sign up for recurring payments, paperless
billing and helpful alerts.
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 call
PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. If customers ever feel that they are in
physical danger, they should call 911.
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.
UUAS is dedicated to combating impostor utility scams by
providing a forum for utilities and trade associations to share
data and best practices, in addition to working together to
implement initiatives to inform and protect customers.
For more information about scams, visit www.pge.com and
www.utilitiesunited.org.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy company in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
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