PG&E Warns Customers About Emerging "Barcode Scam:" Here's What You Should Know
Rhea-AI Summary
PG&E (NYSE:PCG) warns customers about an emerging “barcode scam” and rising utility fraud losses. By mid-2026, customers reported over $211,000 in losses, with an average loss of $969, already nearing 2025’s $301,000 total. Scammers demand urgent bill payment, often via barcodes, QR codes, prepaid cards, or money transfer apps, and may impersonate PG&E by phone, text, email, or in person.
PG&E reiterates it never requests payment via barcode, QR code, prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or apps like Zelle or Venmo, and advises customers to verify billing only through official phone numbers or PGE.com.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
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Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Key regulated electric peers (ED, WEC, DTE, ETR, PEG) all show modest gains between 0.05% and 0.99%, but no names appeared in the momentum scanner, suggesting stock-specific factors rather than a strong sector rotation.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12 | Customer savings tips | Positive | +0.9% | Guidance on summer energy savings and assistance programs for customers. |
| Jun 08 | Wildfire grants | Positive | -3.1% | Opening applications for 2026 wildfire safety and preparedness grants. |
| Jun 04 | Solar milestone | Positive | -0.2% | Announcement of surpassing 1 million customer solar interconnections. |
| May 27 | Environmental grants | Positive | +0.7% | Launch of $500,000 in community grants for environmental stewardship. |
| May 22 | Dividend declaration | Positive | +0.3% | Setting dates and amounts for Q2 2026 stock dividends. |
Recent company news has generally been positive community- and customer-focused, with 3 instances of price alignment and 2 divergences in the last five events.
Over the past month, PG&E has highlighted customer-facing and community initiatives. On May 22, it set a $0.05 Q2 2026 common dividend. Subsequent releases covered environmental grants of $500,000, surpassing 1 million solar interconnections, wildfire preparedness grants exceeding $1 million, and summer energy savings resources. Market reactions were mixed, sometimes softening after positive community or sustainability updates, providing context for how investors have responded to non-financial, reputation- and customer-focused news like the current scam warning.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement focuses on rising scam activity targeting PG&E customers, with reported losses already exceeding $211,000 by mid-2026 and an average loss of $969 per victim. It details new barcode and QR-code payment schemes and reiterates that PG&E will not request payment via prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or apps like Zelle or Venmo. In context of recent customer- and community-focused updates, investors may watch how effectively the company manages fraud risk and customer trust alongside its core utility operations.
Key Terms
qr code technical
cryptocurrency financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Victims of scams have lost an average of
The most common scam continues to involve scammers placing a phone call to PG&E customers with a demand for immediate payment to avoid disconnection. A new wrinkle on that scam has emerged in 2026, where scammers call customers to threaten disconnection, and then send them either a barcode or QR code via text or email. The customer is then instructed to take the barcode or QR code to a store or business to present to a cashier to make payment.
"Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics to defraud customers, and the latest 'barcode scam' is a prime example of that. What hasn't changed is that they are still demanding immediate payment of your bill to avoid disconnection. If you receive a call of this nature, hang up. If someone at your door asks to see your utility bill, close the door. Then, call our 800 number or log into your account at PGE.com to verify your billing details," said PG&E lead scam investigator Matt Foley.
"Remember, PG&E will never ask you for financial information over the phone or for payment via bar code, QR code or pre-paid debit cards or money transfer services like Zelle, and we won't ask to see your bill at your door," he said.
By the Numbers
- In 2025, PG&E received nearly 24,000 reports from customers who were targeted by scammers impersonating PG&E and lost over
$301,000 $590 - By mid-year 2026, customers have already reported over
$211,000 30% increase in financial losses by year's end, with an average loss of$969
Unfortunately, that number is likely just the tip of the iceberg for overall scams, as many go unreported.
Small- and medium-sized businesses are also a target, and scammers focus their efforts during busy business hours, preying on business owners' sense of urgency to keep the doors open and the lights on. In 2026, in less than half a year, PG&E has received nearly 656 reports of scam attempts targeting business customers. That's on pace to easily surpass 2025, which saw 846 reports of scammers targeting businesses.
Signs of a potential scam
- Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively demand immediate payment for an alleged past due bill.
- Asking to see your bill: If someone comes to your home and asks to see your bill, they are not with PG&E.
- Request for immediate payment via prepaid debit card or money transfer service: Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid debit card then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment, or they may ask for payment via a money transfer service like Zelle.
- Refund or rebate offers: Scammers may say that your utility company overbilled you and owes you a refund, or that you are entitled to a rebate, and then ask you for your banking information.
How customers can protect themselves
Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. PG&E does not specify how customers should make a bill payment and offers a variety of ways to pay a bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person.
If a scammer threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service without prior notification, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email, or shut the door. Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill.
If someone comes to your door claiming to be with PG&E, customers should know that PG&E personnel carry identification and are always prepared to show it upon request. If a customer still has doubts, they can call 800-743-5000 to confirm whether an individual is there on official company business. And remember, if someone asks to see your bill, they are not with PG&E and you should close the door.
As a reminder, PG&E will never send a single notification to a customer within one hour of a service interruption, and we will never ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or third-party digital payment mobile applications like Zelle or Venmo.
Signing up for an online account at PGE.com is another safeguard. Not only can customers log in to check their balance and payment history, they can sign up for recurring payments, paperless billing and helpful alerts.
Scammers Impersonating Trusted Phone Numbers: Scammers are now able to create authentic-looking 800 numbers which appear on your phone display. The numbers don't lead back to PG&E if called back, however, so if you have doubts, hang up and call PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 911.
Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement. The Federal Trade Commission's website is also a good source of information about how to protect personal information.
For more information about scams, visit pge.com/scams or consumer.ftc.gov.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company