PG&E is warning that gas and electric customers are increasingly being targeted by scammers threatening to shut off service unless they are paid immediately.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers have stepped up calls, texts, emails, and in-person tactics, PG&E said. There have been more than 2,700 scam attempts reported since June and San Francisco and Santa Rosa top the list of cities with the most reports.
An imposter will often demand immediate payment to avoid service disconnection, and they can be convincing, seeking out vulnerable people, such as senior citizens, those with limited English proficiency and low-income communities. Small business owners are often targeted during busy customer service hours, PG&E said.
PG&E will never contact a customer for the first time within one hour of a service disconnection, and 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.
“Remember, PG&E will never ask for your financial information over the phone or via email.
If you receive a call or email that demands immediate payment, please call our customer service line or visit PGE.com to access your account details,” said Matt Foley, PG&E senior corporate security specialist.
More information about scams is available at www.pge.com and www.utilitiesunited.org.
Likewise, I’m here to warn you guys about a scam where PG&E is burning down towns and then turning around and saying they need to raise your rates to pay for it, all the while collecting money to bury utility lines and not actually doing it.
^ How very true. But, don’t worry. The CPUC and the caring and competent California democrat government will fix it and make things right.
plus as pg&e’s way of saying thanks, they will shut off the power when it gets windy. it is almost like they are staying FY for suing us.
oh and they gave out bonuses prior to declaring bankruptcy the last time.
#RecallGavinNewsom
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People actually fall for these scams?
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Soooo gullible!
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Must be Biden/Harris, Pelosi, DeSaulnier, and Newscum supporters.
Signing up for Nomorobo for your landline can screen out a lot of these scam callers. It’s free for a landline, but there’s a monthly charge for a cellphone. It’s interesting how many “one ring” then gone calls we get over the course of a week.
Nomorobo works on VoIP (Voive Over IP) lines but Nomorobo is NOT supported on traditional/analog/copper wire landlines.
Oh, no…I always fall for those Indian & Nigerian accents.
But it happened to me lst year during peak of pandemic. PG&E shut off my house power because of missed 2 months payments.. I was really busy that time because I work in the hospital. Really sad..=( I just realized I didn’t pay when they shut it off and they turned back on when I paid them right away.
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“Oh no!
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Do you mean there is no such thing as The League of Legitimate Nigerian Businessmen”?
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