utility scam

WATER UTILITY SCAM ALERT: IMPOSTERS SEEK ACCESS TO HOMES



January 16, 2024 – Residents countywide are warned to be vigilant for imposter water agency “workers” knocking on doors and requesting entry to homes to test water quality or making sales pitches, the San Diego Coiunty Water Authority warns.

Similar scams pop up every few years. A spate of incidents has been reported by several water agencies across the region in recent weeks, including in the City of San Diego, South County and East County.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SDG&E JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF UTILITY IMPOSTER SCAMS

Source: SDG&E
 
November 18, 2020 (San Diego) -- As part of Utility Scam Awareness Week (Nov.16-20), SDG&E is joining electric, water and natural gas utilities across the country to educate customers about utility imposters who prey on people’s reliance on essential services to cheat them out of money. To date, in 2020 alone, SDG&E customers have reported over 25,000 scams. That translates into nearly 80 per day.
 
“Scammers target our customers year-round, but we want everyone to be even more vigilant during these unprecedented times, as new waves of scams have emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people staying at home or possibly facing financial difficulty, scammers try to take advantage of the situation,” a statement from SDG&E indicates.
 
Common Scams

Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

WATCH OUT FOR WATER AGENCY IMPOSTERS

 

September 30, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Water Authority is warning residents to watch out or scam artists posing as fake water agency employees. Recently, imposters have been calling local residents and offering to test their water for pollution or contamination – but they’re likely seeking opportunities for theft or fraud. 

The Water Authority and its member agencies are not responsible for fixing problems or testing inside private residences and rarely have reason to ask for entry. If a water agency were to need in-home contact, someone would call first to make an appointment. If anyone claiming to be a water utility employee comes to your home without an appointment, refuse them entry and contact your local water agency.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SDG&E WARNS CUSTOMERS ABOUT POTENTIAL PAYMENT SCAM


Fraudulent Activity Reported in Other Service Territories


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.