Over the weekend, the Clovis Police Department received a couple calls from residents regarding two subjects going door-to-door. The subjects claimed to be with PG&E, however they were casually dressed (no uniform), and they had name tags. The subjects asked to see the resident’s PG&E bill to speak about power options. According to PG&E, they do not have any employees in the field going door-to-door. Even if the subjects are from a legitimate business, we would like to take this opportunity to remind our residents of a few things:
-MOST important: If you think something is suspicious, call us immediately. We would like to dispatch an officer to the area to check on suspicious persons and/or vehicles, but we can’t do so if you do not call us. Calling us immediately allows the dispatcher to have an officer respond while the person(s) is in the area (based on priority calls at that current time). Our non-emergency phone number is (559) 324-2800. If you have the information available, our dispatcher will ask you where you last saw the person(s), a description of them, what made the encounter suspicious, and how long ago you last saw them. Posting to Next Door and other social media sites is also important so your neighbors know, however please call law enforcement first. We would much rather find out that the person(s) has legitimate business, than to investigate a crime after-the-fact when they’re already gone.
-NEVER open your home to someone that you do not know or are not expecting (other than law enforcement). If you have a service appointment, check for their ID, marked vehicle, some type of uniform, or other obvious sign that they’re with the company that you’re expecting. You can confirm that information BEFORE unlocking and opening your front door to them by looking out the peep hole, window, or surveillance camera. Unfortunately we live in a day where we encourage you to lock your doors and windows, regardless where you live.
-If you’re not signed up for the social media site, Next Door, we encourage you to do so. It’s free, and you can communicate with your neighbors only. It’s like an online neighborhood watch and you can post suspicious activity such as this, lost pets, and more. Several local agencies also post on Next Door for specific neighborhood alerts and reminders. Current local agencies in Clovis include: Clovis Police, Clovis Fire, City of Clovis, Fresno County Mosquito Abatement, and more! You can go to www.nextdoor.com for more information. (Local agencies do not have access to see posts within your neighborhoods on Next Door, so if you need us to know something, please call us or send us a message on social media if the activity is not going on at that specific time).
-The City of Clovis’ Municipal Code requires specific information from legitimate businesses that go door-to-door, which includes the Police Department’s permission. According to the division who oversees that, there are NO current businesses that have permission to go door-to-door.
Here are tips directly from PG&E, including a contact phone number for their company:
-PG&E wants to remind customers that PG&E representatives would not ask for personal or banking information over the phone.
-Customers should always ask to see identification before allowing anyone claiming to be a PG&E representative inside their home. PG&E employees always carry their identification and are always willing to show it to you.
-If a person claiming to be a PG&E employee has identification and you still feel uncomfortable, call PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000 to verify an appointment and/or PG&E’s presence in the community. If you feel threatened in any way, you should notify local law enforcement immediately.
-Customers who have an appointment with PG&E will receive an automated call back within 48 hours prior to a scheduled visit, or they will receive a personal call from a PG&E gas service representative prior to a scheduled visit.
-PG&E’s Credit Department will not ask for personal information or a credit card number over the phone. Anyone who has received such a phone call and provided credit card or checking account information should report it immediately to the credit card company or bank and law enforcement.
-Customers with concerns about the legitimacy of a call about a past due bill, a service request or a request for personal information are encouraged to call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000.
-PG&E takes security seriously and will actively work with law enforcement to help stop any scam impacting customers. Anyone who has received a call or visit similar to the one described above can report it immediately by calling the police and PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000.
