CHICO — This past weekend, I went to a game night at a friend’s house where we played Cards Against Humanity, an R-rated version of Apples to Apples, and two of my friends, a newly married couple, each played two different cards reading “deja vu” on the same round causing the group to erupt in laughter while also being a bit shocked and spooked.
I wish I could retain that feeling while writing this but instead, I’m getting deja vu reading about scammers stealing just shy of a million dollars from PG&E customers in 2023 alone.
The gas and electric company sent out a press release earlier this month stating that $900,000 was taken from around 43,000 customers who reported scams with the average amount taken being in the ballpark of $785.
I’d like to state for the record that $1 is too much to be scammed out of.
Here’s a quote from PG&E’s lead scam investigator, Matt Foley:
“Scammers will attempt to create a sense of urgency by threatening immediate disconnection of your utility services if you don’t make immediate payment. Remember, PG&E will never ask you for financial information over the phone, nor will we ask for payment via pre-paid debit cards or money transfer services like Zelle. If you receive a call like this, hang up, and then either log onto PGE.com to confirm your account details, or you can call our customer service number,” Foley said.
Smart words from Foley and a sentiment I agree with. Don’t be afraid to slap that 1980s landline phone back on the hook so to speak. Or I guess smash the red button on the touch screen.
What scammers want is for targets to be panicked or confused. That’s the best way for them to receive quick money with little fight.
Unfortunately, these scams don’t seem to be going anywhere as PG&E got 2,500 scam reports in just January of this year and $67,000 lost.
The company issued a reminder that it will never send a threat an hour before disabling service nor will it ask for payments in the form of cryptocurrency, apps or pre-paid gift cards.
If you get a call, email or text message that even remotely seems illegitimate or you are worried you may have been the target of a scam, you can report it by calling 1-833-500-SCAM.
Stay safe out there folks and enjoy the clear weather coming later this week.
Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at jhutchison@chicoer.com.
