With the Holiday Season Upon Us, PG&E Reminds Customers Not to Let Scammers Steal their Holiday Joy
December 20 2021 - 12:07PM
Business Wire
Knowing the signs of a scam and the steps to
take is key to avoid falling victim
During a time when many Californians are occupied with
preparations for the holiday season, there are steps they can take
to prevent their distraction from making them an easy target for
scammers. While many are aware of the potential for online shopping
scams, the same danger exists for utility bill scams, where
scammers will demand payment to prevent immediate
disconnection.
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. And, the holiday
season provides scammers with a prime opportunity to take advantage
of customers’ distraction and anxiety.
“Scammers are opportunistic and will exploit times when people
are busier than normal and potentially stressed, and they do not
take the holidays off. Stress and distraction create a window of
opportunity where people are also more likely to fall victim to a
scam,” said Ryan Matulka, senior manager, PG&E corporate
security. “Remember, PG&E will not contact you for the first
time within one hour of service disconnection, and we will NEVER
request payment by a pre-paid debit card or via online payment
services like Zelle. 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 call our customer service line or visit our website to
confirm your account details.”
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. 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.
For more information about scams, visit www.pge.com/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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