As the holiday season approaches, scammers are ramping up their efforts, targeting vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, non-native English speakers, and small businesses.
According to PG&E, nearly 500 customers in Bakersfield have fallen victim to utility scams this year.
Jeff Smith, a PG&E spokesperson, highlighted the tactics used by scammers, saying, “Let’s say they call on December 23rd and they say, hey, if you don’t pay us within the next hour you’re not going to have power by Christmas.” He noted that scammers exploit the fear of losing power during the holidays.
In Fresno, nearly 1,000 PG&E customers have been scammed this year, contributing to over 21,000 scam reports with customer losses nearing $300,000.
PG&E advises customers to slow down when confronted with potential scams, hang up on threats, verify the caller, and check your account online. They emphasize that they will never request account information over the phone or payment through applications like Venmo.
Smith reassured customers, stating, “We really want customers to understand that we’re never going to, kinda almost have that like hostage situation type thing where they say, hey, pay now or else. That’s just not how we operate.”
PG&E urges customers to report any scams directly to them.
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The Better Business Bureau also has advice on its website.