How to Avoid and Report Scams
By Jennie Campos
If you receive a call from a “Southern California Edison technician” threatening to immediately remove your meter unless you provide instant payment — stop, this is an urgency scam.
Fraudsters often create a false sense of panic, pressuring you to act before you have time to think things through.
During National Consumer Protection Week , take time to refresh your knowledge about scam tactics and share tips with your family and friends.
Meter removal threats are a common scam tactic. Remember:
- SCE will never disconnect your service without proper notification.
- SCE representatives may visit your home or business without prior notice to replace damaged meters and meters that are not transmitting data or to conduct routine maintenance.
- There is no cost to test or replace meters.
- If an SCE representative visits your home or business, always ask for identification before allowing anyone entry. You can also call the employee verification line at 1-800-655-4555 and select option 5 to confirm their identity.
Last year, SCE customers filed 1,750 fraud complaints, totaling over $806,000 in demanded funds. Fraudsters managed to pocket $131,464 — but thanks to many savvy customers who avoided becoming victims — that was nearly a 72% drop from 2024.
Here’s how you can identify, prevent and report a scam in three steps:
- Slow down: Take time to consider the legitimacy of unexpected and urgent payment requests.
- Verify: Contact SCE directly using the verified number on your bill or visit sce.com to check your account status. Scammers often insist you can only pay via specific, fraudulent methods, such as prepaid store barcodes , prepaid cards, gift cards, third-party payment apps or cryptocurrency that send money straight to them.
- Report it: If you receive a fraudulent call, text, email or in-person visit, report the incident immediately at sce.com/scamalert .
You can make secure payments using SCE’s five approved methods , including paying online at sce.com , with a digital card or wallet, by phone, mail or in person.
Visit sce.com/scamalert for tips and resources.
