Popular Restaurant Falls for Utility Bill Phone Scam

A popular Fremont restaurant was duped into wiring $500 after a woman phoned the restaurant and threatened to cut off their power if they didn’t pay up immediately, according to Fremont police. 

An employee at Country Way reported the suspicious activity at about 9:40 a.m. However, the restaurant completed the transaction out of fear before alerting authorities, police said.

According to police, the caller said she was with PG&E and informed an employee that the business was past due on its utility bill by about $500. She said they had to send money within 30 minutes or their electricity would be cut.

The caller went on to tell the employee that the only form of payment she would accept was via a GreenDot MoneyPak — a card that allows customer to reload prepaid cards, add money to PayPal accounts and make payments to companies without using a bank account — and instructed them to buy one from 7-Eleven.

MoneyPak warns of similar scams on its website and advises customers only to send money to businesses on its approved list.

PG&E does not accept MoneyPak payments, and Fremont police confirmed the call, which came from an 866 area code, to be a scam.

Fremont asks community members to be cautious of anyone calling to demand payment via MoneyPak for any bill or debt.

“Always check your records before sending a payment and call the company directly if you have any questions or want to verify the phone call,” police said in a statement.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact Fremont Police at 510-790-6900 or tips can be submitted by texting Tip FremontPD to 888777.