PGE warns of aggressive scammers in Bay Area with more than 2,500 reported cases this year

PG&E has issued a warning about an alarming increase in scams targeting Bay Area customers, with over 2,500 reports logged in 2025. The scammers employ aggressive tactics, including impersonating PG&E representatives with spoofed caller IDs to threaten immediate power disconnections for unpaid bills. According to PG&E spokesperson Jason King, approximately 250 customers have been deceived, suffering average losses of $900 each. Cybersecurity experts advise caution, suggesting that recipients of suspicious calls should hang up and confirm any payment demands directly with PG&E. Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and a cybersecurity advocate, highlighted the need for individuals to pause and reflect before reacting to such threats.

The utility company is actively collaborating with law enforcement to combat these schemes and encourages victims and potential targets to report incidents via their website or dedicated tip line. PG&E aims to gather information from other customers who may have received similar calls but did not fall victim. The increasing sophistication of these scams underscores the need for heightened awareness among consumers.