Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is urging customers to be vigilant against utility scams as part of Utility Scam Awareness Day on November 19. The company has partnered with Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) to promote the message: “Slow Down, Verify, Stop the Scam.”
Throughout 2025, PG&E reports that more than 21,000 scam attempts have been reported by its customers, resulting in losses approaching $300,000 and an average loss of $670 per incident. These scams often involve fraudsters demanding payment to avoid immediate disconnection of service. Scammers typically contact customers by phone but may also use online or in-person tactics.
“Scammers will try to create a false sense of urgency to pressure customers by threatening immediate disconnection of your utility services if immediate payment is not made,” said Matt Foley, lead scam investigator for PG&E. “Remember, PG&E will not contact you for the first time within one hour of service disconnection, and we will NEVER request payment by a pre-paid debit card or via online payment services like Zelle or Venmo. If a call doesn’t feel right, hang up, and log into your account at PGE.com or call our customer service line to verify your billing details.”
Businesses are also being targeted. PG&E noted it received nearly 700 reports from small and medium-sized businesses about scam attempts this year. Scammers often focus their efforts during busy business hours.
“Scammers continue to evolve their tactics, often using urgency and threats to pressure customers into making rash decisions,” said UUAS Executive Director Monica Martinez. “The ‘Slow Down, Verify, Stop the Scam’ framework is a simple, powerful tool designed to cut through that pressure, giving customers the confidence to pause and confirm any suspicious request before it’s too late.”
PG&E recommends that anyone who suspects they are being targeted by a scam should not provide personal information or make payments under pressure. Customers can find additional information on recognizing scams at pge.com/scams or consumer.ftc.org.
Utilities United Against Scams represents more than 150 electric, water, and natural gas utilities across North America working together to share data and best practices aimed at protecting consumers from impostor utility scams.
PG&E serves over 16 million people across Northern and Central California with natural gas and electric service over an area covering 70,000 square miles. More information about the company can be found at www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
