Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office warns of PG&E call scams

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)-- The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said that it has received several reports of phone scammers posing as AT&T and threatening to turn off people's power without immediate payment.

They are asking for payments through Zelle but have also requested gift cards or cash cards in the past.

The scammers can also hide their real phone numbers with a caller ID that says "PG&E," "Pacific Gas and Electric," or may show up as their direct line of 1-800-743-5000.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office wants to remind people that PG&E will not call and threaten to shut off their power and will not ask for financial information.

If you are skeptical of a call you can reach PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.

• Asking for your PG&E account number, login or Social Security number to understand your energy usage while attempting to sell you a service or provide an energy evaluation.
• Telling customers they are entitled to a PG&E refund and/or discount, a federal tax refund, or owe past-due balances to PG&E. The caller will attempt to obtain your PG&E account number and other personal information.
• Claiming a power shutoff is imminent and asking for personal information to determine if the customer’s address will be impacted.
• Claiming to represent a PG&E so they can sell a product or gain entrance to your home.