FRESNO, California (KGPE) – If you get a phone call from someone demanding payment for your PG&E bill, be aware — it might be a scam.
Multiple CBS47 viewers contacted us this week, all with the same story: they received a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be a PG&E representative. The caller claimed the recipient was behind on their electric bill, and threatened to turn off the power unless payment was made within 30 minutes.
Erlene Williams of Fresno says she got a call.
CBS47 was also contacted by viewers in Madera, Modesto and Clovis.
They all got the same call on Monday.
They told us the caller said they were two months overdue on their power accounts, and the caller demanded immediate payment using prepaid credit card numbers. If they didn’t pay right away, the caller said their electricity would be turned off.
“That’s when he got angry and told me to pay him over the phone, or he was turning off my power in 30 minutes,” Erlene told CBS47.
PG&E says it will never ask for payment information over the phone, and it will always issue a warning for power disconnection via mail.
Customers can learn more about this and other scams at PG&E’s scams and fraud resource website.
For local, national, and breaking news, and to get weather alerts, download our FREE mobile app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.