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San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is warning residents of a new phone call scam that is targeting utility customers. The company says robocalls are telling customers their power will be turned off within the hour and direct them to press "1" to reach customer service, "where they demand immediate payment to keep service in place.”
“This scam is troubling because the calls sound professionally produced and claim to connect customers to the billing and collections department,” the company said. “If the scammers do not reach a person on their first call, then they will likely call back or leave a message with the same instructions.”
SDG&E released some tips to help customers avoid these types of scams. According to the company, they will never call a customer proactively to ask for payment information during the call. If a caller asks for payment over the phone, it's a scam. You should only provide financial information by telephone if you made the call.
They also released a list of common utility scams:
- Scammers often threaten immediate service disconnections if a customer does not pay immediately. SDG&E will never contact customers to tell them they must pay now or risk immediate disconnection. The company works with customers on payment plans if they are struggling to pay past due balances and offers a variety of assistance programs.
- Scammers often demand payment with cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin), prepaid cards (such as Green Dot MoneyPak) or via third-party payment apps, such as Venmo or Zelle. SDG&E does not use these payment methods.