Customers report losses of more than $190,000 through 2025
OAKLAND, California — Utility scams have continued at an alarming rate through 2025, with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers reporting more than $190,000 in losses to scammers. To stem this trend, PG&E is committed to helping customers recognize the signs of a scam and avoid falling victim.
A typical sign of a scam targeting a utility customer may be a caller claiming to be from PG&E and threatening to disconnect service if immediate payment is not made via a prepaid debit card, digital mobile payment app, or other money transfer methods. As a reminder, PG&E will never send a notification to a customer less than one hour before a service outage and will never ask the customer to make a payment with a prepaid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or instant mobile payment apps like Zelle® or Venmo.
“Scammers seek to create panic by threatening to turn off utilities if immediate payment is not made. If you receive a phone call, a visit to your home, or an email that doesn’t sound right to you, don’t fall for it. Hang up, close the door, and don’t respond to the email,” said Amy Lucido, Cybersecurity Risk Manager at PG&E. “Remember, PG&E will never ask for your financial information over the phone or email, nor will we solicit payments via prepaid debit cards or other money transfer methods, including mobile apps.”
This year, PG&E has received nearly 10,000 reports of scams targeting residential and business customers, with customers reporting losses of more than $190,000. The average scam victim lost more than $900, and more than 200 customers have reported being victims. However, this number is likely just the tip of the iceberg, as many scams go unreported.
Business customers are also not immune to scam attempts. In fact, PG&E has received 250 reports of scams targeting small and medium-sized businesses this year. These attempts frequently occur during busy business hours, when scammers hope to trap unsuspecting victims while they are distracted or stressed.
Scammers can be persuasive and often target the most vulnerable, such as the elderly or low-income individuals. They also attempt to defraud small business owners during peak customer hours. However, with the right information, customers can learn to spot and report these predatory scams by visiting www.pge.com/scams or calling 1-833-500-SCAM.
Signs of a Possible Scam
- Threat of Disconnection: Scammers may aggressively demand immediate payment of a supposedly overdue bill.
- Request for Immediate Payment: Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card and then call them back, supposedly to make a bill payment.
- Request for a Prepaid Card: When the customer returns the call, the caller asks for the customer’s prepaid card number, which will give the scammer instant access to the funds on the card.
- Offers of Refunds or Discounts: Scammers may claim that their utility company overbilled them and they owe them a refund, or that they are entitled to a refund or discount, and then request their personal financial information.
- Scammers posing as trusted phone numbers: Scammers can now create seemingly authentic 800 numbers that appear on your phone screen. However, the numbers don’t lead to PG&E if the call is returned, so if in doubt, hang up and log in to your pge.com account to confirm your bill details, or call PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM. If customers feel in physical danger, they should call 911.
Customer Self-Protection Measures
- Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. PG&E does not specify how customers should pay their bills, and instead offers a variety of bill payment methods, including online, phone, automatic bank drafts, mail, or in-person payments.
- If a scammer threatens immediate service disconnection or shutoff without warning, the customer should hang up, delete the email, or lock the door. Customers with past-due accounts receive advance notice of disconnection, usually by mail and included with their regular monthly bill.
- Signing up for an online account at pge.com is another protection. Customers can not only log in to check their balance and payment history, but can also register to set up recurring payments, paperless billing, and helpful alerts. Customers can also call PG&E Customer Service at 800-743-5000 to confirm their bill details and the current amount due.
- Customers who suspect they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement authorities. We also recommend the Federal Trade Commission’s website as a reliable source on how to protect personal information.
For more information about scams, visit pge.com/scams or consumer.ftc.gov. 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 a 70,000-square-mile area in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
