It is hard to understand how anyone could take advantage of people during this pandemic but unfortunately some scammers are using this crisis to cash in on people during a time where they may be vulnerable.  The City of Goleta wants to warn our community to be on the lookout for potential scams and to NEVER give any personal or financial information to anyone unless you have verified the request is legitimate. 

SoCalGas is warning customers of a scam where the caller informs the resident that they have a delinquent payment and that their service will be shut off if they don’t pay over the phone immediately. SoCalGas wants customers to know they do not call customers seeking payment. Southern California Edison (SCE) is reporting a similar scam.

SoCalGas is sharing the following tips on how to recognize and respond to these scams.

Be on the lookout for these common scam tactics:

• Caller ID spoofing with calls that appear to be coming from SoCalGas. The caller may try to sell products, collect personal information, or collect payment on your gas bill. Please note that SoCalGas will never ask for payment through the phone.
• Phishing emails, texts and social media posts with malicious attachments asking you to send personal information or money to another entity.
• Utility imposters appearing at your place of residence or business demanding payment.

How to protect yourself:

• Never provide your personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or share names and passwords with anyone claiming to be a utility representative.
• Always ask to see a SoCalGas photo ID badge before letting someone inside your home. All SoCalGas employees on company business are required to carry a badge.
• Customers are encouraged to verify the employee’s uniform and identification. Most of our authorized employees will always be in a uniform with our company logo, carry an official employee badge, and drive a company car. SoCalGas employees will always be happy to wait while the customer confirms their identity.
• Customers can always check the status of their SoCalGas account or pay their latest bill by logging on to My Account.

More information is available on the SoCalGas website.

Southern California Edison is also warning customers about scams. Click here to see their tips.

Please report scams to the non-emergency Sheriff’s Office Dispatch line at 805-683-2724.