PG&E warns customers after scammers steal more than $300,000 in 2025

CENTRAL VALLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company says inferior scams outgo customers much than $300,000 successful 2025, with crooks targeting communities crossed the Valley and pressuring residents to marque contiguous payments they whitethorn not owe.

According to the company, customers mislaid an mean of $590 each successful fraudulent transactions past year.

PG&E says much than a twelve Valley cities were affected.

"They enactment that benignant of unit connected by saying if you bash not wage this immediately, we're going to unopen disconnected your powerfulness and they often prey connected the aged and those who person English arsenic a 2nd language," PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith said.

Fresno reported the highest fig of scam cases with 689. Clovis received 131 reports, Merced had 88, Madera 79 and Atwater reported 41 incidents.

PG&E says the existent fig of scams whitethorn beryllium adjacent higher.

The institution reports that the astir communal maneuver involves telephone calls successful which scammers endanger to disconnect powerfulness if a lawsuit does not wage close away.

"Scammers person gotten clever, and it volition often look similar it's PG&E connected the recognition connected your compartment phone, they volition call, and they volition accidental you beryllium X-amount of dollars it needs to beryllium paid immediately," Smith said. "By instilling that fearfulness successful folks, that is however they are to bilk folks retired of their money."

PG&E says a newer, much alarming scam involves impostors posing arsenic inferior workers and showing up astatine customers' homes.

"They volition really travel doorway to doorway and accidental I'm present from PG&E, you guys are down connected your bill, we didn't get your payment," Smith said.

Smith urged customers to spot their instincts if thing feels wrong.

"If it feels conscionable uneasy to you, telephone america and we volition assistance you beryllium capable to place a scam and recognize that we are not going to nonstop radical to your location and sound connected your doorway and request contiguous outgo oregon the powerfulness volition beryllium unopen off, that's not however we operate," helium said.

The institution emphasized that it volition ne'er petition outgo done prepaid debit cards, acquisition cards, cryptocurrency, oregon third-party apps specified arsenic Zelle oregon Venmo.

"Don't beryllium embarrassed if you've fallen unfortunate to a scam. Let america cognize and fto instrumentality enforcement know, the lone mode we are capable to way down these debased lifes is if we get that information," Smith said.

Customers who uncertainty the legitimacy of immoderate telephone oregon sojourn are encouraged to bent up and interaction PG&E straight astatine 18335007226. Additional accusation is disposable connected the PG&E and Federal Trade Commission websites.

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