Scammers are misrepresenting themselves as PSE&G employees and threatening to turn off residents’ gas and electric services if payment is not handed over the same day, Gloucester Township Police warn.

PSE&G reports several of its customers have fallen victim to the scam, which is happening across the country. Scammers appear to be targeting Hispanic neighborhoods and customers who pay with Green Dot MoneyPak.

The typical scam goes like this: an English- or Spanish-speaking person poses as a PSE&G representative on a phone call, which is sometimes prerecorded. The recipient is told to purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak and put cash on it for alleged overdue charges. The recipient is also told to call back with the card number or the utilities will be turned off that day.

“As always, if you feel like you are being scammed or you suspect suspicious behavior from a person in your neighborhood, please call the Gloucester Township Police immediately,” the department posted in a community bulletin.

Tips for avoiding the scam:

• Know the direct telephone number and address of your local PSE&G Customer Service Center.
• Know that when PSE&G makes an outbound telephone call to customers, customer-specific information is shared with the customer. That information includes account name, address, number and current balance.
• If customers do not receive this correct information, they likely are not speaking with a real PSE&G representative.

If you receive a call you suspect is fraudulent:

• Try to verify the validity of the number the scammer is calling from and record the number of the scammer.
• Try to verify the authenticity of the caller of the scam.
• Disconnect the call immediately after attempting to verify this information.
• Immediately check your recent PSE&G bill and find out when it was last paid.
• If you cannot determine when your last PSE&G bill was paid, contact PSE&G directly at 1-800-436-7734 or visit a local PSE&G Customer Service Center. Service centers are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. with locations listed on customer bills and online at pseg.com/centers.
• Alert Gloucester Township Police via the non-emergency line, 856-228-4500.