PSE&G Warns Customers Of Payment Scam

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- PSE&G is warning its customers about a potential payment scam targeting predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods.

The utility said someone has been calling customers posing as a company employee and threatening to shut off electric and gas service if a payment is not made to them that day using a prepaid debit card.

The utility said the caller tells the customers to buy a Green Dot MoneyPak, use cash to put money onto the card, and then provide the number on the card to them.

The alleged scammer then transfers the money and cashes it in at an ATM.

"Some customers are vulnerable, some customers are concerned, these people are very threatening on the phone," PSE&G Spokeswoman Bonnie Sheppard tells 1010 WINS. "They manage to scare some people."

So far, 125 customers have been victimized in the scam.

"We are assuming that some customers have gone ahead and paid their bill or thought they paid their bill this way so I suspect when they get their next bill and realize that they have paid someone other than PSE&G we're going to be hearing from them in larger numbers," Shappard said.

The utility said when the company makes a phone call to customers, the caller ID will identify the call as coming from PSE&G and customer-specific information is shared with the customer.

Customers with any doubts about the legitimacy of any call from PSE&G should call the utility directly.