Scams Targeting SDG&E Customers On The Rise

SAN DIEGO, CA — Scams targeting San Diego Gas & Electric customers are on the rise, the utility company announced Tuesday.

Scammers posing as SDG&E representatives claim that customer accounts are delinquent, threaten to shut off power and demand payments over the phone. Customers reported roughly three times the number of utility-related scams from March to April of this year, according to the company.

"It's notoriously underreported, too," SDG&E spokesperson Anthony Wagner told Patch. "People are usually embarrassed to call."

Commonly targeted victims include the elderly, limited-English speakers, homeowner associations, restaurant owners and small businesses, according to SDG&E. Customers are asked to pay with Bitcoin, Green Dot debit cards, Zelle or other non-traditional forms of payment that SDG&E does not use.

"Compounding the loss, targets are told over and over the payment did not go through and the victim unwittingly repeats the financial transaction," SDG&E said. "They are told to keep trying because any amount overpaid will result in an expedited refund. The losses can be staggering. A local business recently was swindled of more than $25,000 with that technique."

Although often based outside of the country, the scammers use caller ID spoofing to make it seem like calls come from numbers with a 619, 760 or 858 area code, according to SDG&E.

"The scammers are persistent with their questions and threats," the company said. "The scams vary in levels of sophistication including being passed off to other role players to give the perception the imposter is calling from a large organization."

SDG&E said it does not demand payments over the phone with the threat of immediate service disconnection. The company advised customers to terminate suspicious calls and then call SDG&E's Customer Contact Center.

SDG&E provided some tips to avoid being scammed:

• SDG&E does not accept any payment over the phone. Any individual requesting payment over the phone is an imposter.
• The only utility bill payment options are listed on SDGE.com.
• SDG&E does not accept pre-paid cash cards, Zelle, Green Dot or Bitcoin for bill payments.
• Never provide your utility bill information to anyone you do not know.
• Never provide anyone your online utility login credentials.
• Never use the call-back number provided by an unknown caller to verify billing information.
• Have a conversation about utility scams with older family members and friends to ensure they do not become victims.
• Check your bill and payment history via sdge.com/Myaccount.