Scammers Prey on So Cal Edison (SCE) Customers

In recent months, APD has fielded reports from both residential and commercial customers of Southern California Edison falling prey  to persistent phone scammers.

So how does the scam work? Phone impostors claiming to be with SCE call customers and fraudulently threaten to disconnect their electrical service unless immediate payment is made on a supposedly past-due bill. The caller demands payment immediately and tells the unsuspecting customer to buy a prepaid debit card — and there are many different kinds — and load a specific amount of money on it and call the impostor back, providing the serial number off the back of the card. Once you give out the serial number, the cash is untraceable and gone for good.

Although more customers are learning to recognize phone scams, impostors continue to cheat people out of their money using more elaborate, deceptive, and persistent ploys. Scammers also have created fake telephone lines and recordings that state: “Hello. Thank you for calling Southern California Edison Disconnection Department.” Another trick is telling customers local police will be called if they don’t pay immediately. 

Don't fall for these types of scams! Utility companies will not call and make such demands. HERE is additional information on scams from SCE. If you receive such a call, please report the incident to both your local police and SCE at 1-800-655-4555.

SCE also distributed similar warnings in 2013, one of which is available in Chinese, HERE.