It seems like everybody wants a piece of PG&E these days, and with the embattled utility in the news so much, scam artists are becoming much more active using their name. A caller claiming to be from the PG&E billing department will threaten to shut off the customer’s power unless immediate payment is made over the phone using a credit card or an untraceable method such as “Green Dot” or “Money Pack”. PG&E corporate security says they’ve been getting twice as many reports of such scams in the past few weeks, and the con artists are getting more detailed, using customers’ names and sometimes guessing the general dollar amount owed. Actual phone numbers are spoofed so that the caller ID on the customer’s phone reads “PG&E”. It should be stressed that PG&E does not ask for personal information or credit card numbers over the phone. If someone shows up at the door, they should be asked for their identification and if there’s any doubt, the customer should close the door and call the police or PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.