PG&E warning customers of scammers amid COVID-19 fears

SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas and Electric is warning its customers Friday about possible scam phone calls or emails threatening to turn off their power.

The utility company has received several reports of scammers requesting money on bills that have already been paid since the coronavirus outbreak began.

Scammers ask victims for their debit card number and to pay the amount immediately, PG&E said.

The utility company has also seen an increase in "spoofing." That is when a phone call looks like it is coming from PG&E when it actually is not.

“It’s alarming that people are trying to capitalize on the pandemic and people’s fears. Unfortunately, that’s the reality with scammers. We’ve seen a steady stream of scam calls recently and are reminding customers that PG&E will never ask for personal information or a credit card number over the phone,” said James Murphy, Senior Director of Corporate Security at PG&E.

This warning comes after PG&E announced last week it is having a voluntary moratorium on service disconnections because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The moratorium applies to both homes and businesses. It will stay in effect until further notice.

PG&E is advising customers any threat claiming to disconnect service if they don't get money from you is a scam.