SCE Issues Fraud Warning, Guidance To Protect Ratepayers

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Scammers negatively impact so many lives and are using ever-evolving schemes to hook the unsuspecting.

Public utilities, police and fire departments, government agencies, and financial institutions — these are just some of the entities that con artists attempt to impersonate.

This week, Southern California Edison provided guidance to ratepayers on how to avoid being conned by a fake SCE representative.

The utility's public service message comes amid National Consumer Protection Week (March 1-7). According to the Federal Trade Commission, "NCPW is a time to talk about frauds, scams, and consumer rights."

That is what SCE is doing.

"Scammers rely on creating a sense of panic by threatening to remove a customer’s meter or disconnect their service unless they provide an immediate payment," according to the utility. "Last year, SCE customers filed 1,750 fraud complaints, totaling over $806,000 in demanded funds. Fraudsters managed to pocket $131,464 — but thanks to many savvy customers who avoided becoming victims — that was nearly a 72% drop from 2024."

To prevent falling victim to a scam, here are a few reminders from SCE:

• SCE will never disconnect electric service without proper notification.
• SCE representatives may visit your home or business without prior notice to replace damaged meters, but there is no cost to test or replace them.
• If an SCE representative visits your property, always ask for identification before allowing anyone entry.
• If customers receive a potentially fraudulent call, text, email, or in-person visit, report the incident at sce.com/scamalert.
• Contact SCE directly using the verified number on your bill or visit sce.com to check your account status. Scammers often insist you can only pay via specific, fraudulent methods, such as prepaid store barcodes, prepaid cards, gift cards, third-party payment apps or cryptocurrency that send money straight to them.

For more information from SCE on how to avoid and report scams, click here.