SANTA CLARA, Calif. ( KRON ) – Over 15,000 Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers have been affected in a recent surge of scams, resulting in over $334,000 in losses in 2024 alone.
According to PG&E, hundreds of customers have recently filed scam reports in Santa Clara County, but the utility company says that number “is likely just the tip of the iceberg,” as many scams often go unreported.
Santa Clara County reported nearly 700 scams between January and June 2024, with San Jose being the most affected city in the county. The majority of these scams have occurred in the following cities, according to PG&E:
- San Jose (435)
- Los Gatos (38)
- Mountain View (32)
- Sunnyvale (31)
- Gilroy (31)
On a case-by-case basis, PG&E says the average customer loses about $600 per individual scam. At least 500 customers have fallen victim to the scam so far.
Matt Foley, lead customer scam investigator for PG&E, says “Scammers seek to create a sense of panic, threatening disconnection of utility services if immediate payment is not made.”