June is National Safety Month and SoCalGas is taking the opportunity to empower customers to stay safe against imposters, both in-person and online.

Unfortunately, scammers sometimes try to trick customers by posing as utility workers or by creating realistic-looking websites that mimic SoCalGas’ bill payment webpage. We have tips available to help you protect yourself.

In-Person Scams

In-person imposters will try and pass themselves off as utility workers to try and access customers’ homes and valuables or to threaten utility shutoffs unless payment is immediately given. Some of these imposters will even wear hard hats or reflective vests to try and appear authentic.

SoCalGas encourages customers to be aware of these scams and to question anyone who presents themselves as a representative of SoCalGas. Here are some things to consider if someone comes to your home claiming to be from the gas company:

• Typically, SoCalGas visits a customer’s home in response to a specific service request. If you’re not expecting a visit, call us before allowing anyone into your home.
• On occasion, SoCalGas conducts maintenance and company-generated work that requires employee access to customer properties – such as safety inspections – that could encompass inspections, leak surveys, etc.
• Most authorized SoCalGas employees will drive a company car or truck and be in uniform with our company logo.
• All SoCalGas employees on company business are required to carry a SoCalGas photo ID badge. Always ask to see their badge/identification.
• SoCalGas employees will never ask for payments during home visits.
• To verify the authenticity of anyone claiming to be a representative of SoCalGas, ask for identification or call us at 1-800-427-2200 or 1-800-342-4545 for Spanish-language customer service.

Search Engine Scams

Online search engine scams can occur when a customer uses a search engine, like Google, to find the website or phone number for a utility, like SoCalGas, to make a payment. An unofficial SoCalGas website or an unofficial SoCalGas partner could show up at the top of search results, which may be another company misrepresenting itself.

These fake websites may take a “payment” or provide a phone number for a customer to pay by phone. Over the phone, a customer could be requested to provide billing, personal information, and a credit card to make a “payment.” This money is not sent to SoCalGas, but instead goes to the scammer. Here are tips to protect yourself from search engine scams:

• Find the official ways to pay your bill on our Ways to Pay webpage or a printed bill.
• Save our contact information in your cell phone or near your phone.
• Remember, we will never ask for credit card or banking information over the phone.

National Safety Month is an annual observance designed to help keep each other safe, from the workplace to anyplace and online. SoCalGas is dedicated to the safety of its customers and employees. To learn more about how to protect yourself against scammers, visit socalgas.com/ScamAlert.