Got a call demanding immediate payment of a past-due PG&E bill? It could be a scam

Scammers are targeting PG&E customers on the Central Coast, threatening to cut their service if they don’t immediately pay certain bills — then stealing their money, according to the utility company.

Scams reached an “all-time high” last year, with 180 victims living in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, PG&E said.

In Santa Maria, 66 customers reported scams during 2023 — the highest number on the Central Coast. Paso Robles followed with 45 scams, and San Luis Obispo with 36 in that year, the utility company said.

Meanwhile, scams impacted 15 Atascadero customers, six Arroyo Grande customers, six Grover Beach customers, two Buellton customers, two Guadalupe customers, one Cambria customer and one Cayucos customer, according to PG&E.

“These numbers are likely the tip of the iceberg for overall scam attempts, as many go unreported,” the news release said.

Last year, scammers took about $875,000 from PG&E customers — with the average customer paying $785. Then, in January, customers paid about $67,000 to scammers, the utility company said.

“Scammers will attempt to create a sense of urgency by threatening immediate disconnection of your utility services if you don’t make immediate payment,” PG&E’s lead customer scam investigator Matt Foley said in the release. “Remember, PG&E will never ask you for financial information over the phone, nor will we ask for payment via pre-paid debit cards or money transfer services like Zelle. If you receive a call like this, hang up, and then either log onto PGE.com to confirm your account details, or you can call our customer service number.”

How to spot a scam

The scammers will often ask for immediate payment of a past-due bill or threaten to disconnect the customer from service, PG&E said.

However, PG&E does not disconnect customers from service without first notifying them by mail and in their regular monthly bill, the agency said.

“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,” the release said.

Customers have also reported that a scammer asked them to buy a prepaid card then call back to pay the bill.

If the customer calls back to pay the bill with their prepaid card, the scammer may ask for the card’s number, “which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds,” the release said.

But PG&E would never ask a customer to pay their bill with a prepaid debt card, a gift card, cryptocurrency, Zelle or Venmo, the agency said in the release.

Finally, “scammers may say that your utility company overbilled you and owes you a refund or that you are entitled to a rebate,” the release said.

To avoid a scam, customers should not purchase prepaid cards to pay their bill, PG&E said.

Customers also can sign up for an online account at pge.com where they can check their balance and payment history.

Some scammers can create an 800 number to display on a customer’s phone. If you think the call is a scam, hang up and call PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM for help, the release said.

Scam victims should contact law enforcement and PG&E.