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PG&E warns Monterey County customers about QR/barcode scam that converts payments to prepaid cards
Summary
PG&E warned Monterey County residents that scammers are threatening service disconnection and sending QR/barcodes that victims are told to present at retailers; the scam converts payments to prepaid cards that are drained immediately. PG&E reported 61 county incidents through May and urges customers to hang up and verify at pge.com.
PG&E operations communications representative Jason King warned Monterey County customers that a recent scam uses threatening calls followed by a QR code or barcode to siphon payments into prepaid debit cards.
"When scammers call you, they're gonna threaten immediate disconnection if you don't make immediate payment," King said, describing how the caller then texts a barcode or QR code and tells the customer to present it at a retailer such as Walmart or 7-Eleven to pay immediately. "What that then converts into is a prepaid debit card that the scammers are able to siphon money from immediately," he said.
King said PG&E has recorded 61 incidents in Monterey County through the end of May and that customers across the utility's service area have lost more than $200,000 this year to scams. He said PG&E runs quarterly education campaigns and urged customers to be skeptical of calls demanding immediate payment.
"PG&E won't call you and threaten immediate payment and threaten immediate disconnection if you don't make immediate payment," King said. He advised customers to hang up and verify billing by calling PG&E's customer service line or by logging in at pge.com rather than following payment instructions given during the call.
King also warned that scammers often ask for specific payment methods such as a Green Dot prepaid debit card, a Zelle or other money transfer, or a barcode presented to a cashier, and that those requests are a red flag. He noted the tactic can disproportionately affect underserved customers who regularly use retailers to pay bills.
The briefing host echoed the advice to pause and verify: if a call "doesn't feel right," customers should take a moment to step away and confirm their account with PG&E.
PG&E recommended creating an online account at pge.com, using recurring payments or stored payment methods, and reviewing billing details on the utility's official website to reduce the risk of falling victim to scams. For more information, customers should consult PG&E's official customer-service channels.
