SDG&E Warns Customers To Look Out For Utility Scammers

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego Gas & Electric warned customers Tuesday to be on the lookout for scammers threatening service disconnections if payments are not made immediately.

The ruse often involves a caller posing as a utility collections employee, according to SDG&E. Scammers posing as SDG&E representatives claim that customer accounts are delinquent, threaten to shut off power and demand payments.

Commonly targeted victims include the elderly, limited-English speakers and small businesses, according to SDG&E. Although often based outside of the country, the scammers use caller ID spoofing to make it seem like calls come from SDG&E's customer service number. Customers are asked to pay with non-traceable Bitcoin, payment apps such as Zelle, Green Dot debit cards, or other non-traditional forms of payment that SDG&E does not use.

SDG&E said it does not demand payments over the phone with the threat of immediate service disconnection. The company offers a variety of payment assistance programs and sends multiple notices to customers before disconnecting service.

SDG&E provided some tips to avoid being scammed:

• SDG&E does not ask customers to pay using digital payment apps or cryptocurrencies.
• The only utility bill payment options are listed on SDGE.com.
• SDG&E customers who are uncertain about their account status should call SDG&E or look up their bill and payment history via sdge.com/MyAccount. 
• Never use the call-back number provided by an unknown caller to verify billing information.