PG&E Warns of Surge in Sophisticated Barcode Utility Scams

The current trajectory of fraud suggests that total annual losses will climb nearly 30% compared to 2025. While traditional threats of immediate service disconnection remain the primary vehicle for these attacks, the introduction of barcode-based payment demands adds a layer of complexity that has pushed the average victim loss to $969, up from $590 last year. Matt Foley, lead scam investigator at PG&E, emphasizes that the utility never requests payments through QR codes, money transfer services like Zelle, or prepaid debit cards.

Beyond phone-based fraud, scammers are actively targeting small- and medium-sized businesses during high-traffic hours, banking on the urgency of maintaining operations to bypass standard security checks. Perpetrators have also begun spoofing official 800 numbers to appear legitimate on caller ID displays. PG&E advises that any demand for immediate payment or requests to view a physical bill are definitive signs of a scam. Customers who receive suspicious communications are urged to hang up and verify their account status directly through the official PGE.com portal or by calling the company’s dedicated fraud line at 1-833-500-SCAM.