Watch out for water utility scams | Scam of the Week

We need another groundhog to blame for summer.

Since the hot season has decided to stick around for what feels like an eternity, water use throughout the Golden State is likely set to continue meaning the time is still ripe for water scams.

Not unlike faux PG&E scams I’ve written about in the past, these scams run the gamut of just about every medium you can imagine: phone calls, texts, emails and — a blast from the past — door-to-door salespeople.

The person on the other end claims to work for either a water utility company or even the state and claims you have an issue with some aspect of your water system. For phone calls, they can even mask their number to make it look like it’s coming from a legitimate organization on your caller ID. I’m guessing the door-to-door equivalent is putting on a little utility worker costume just in time for October.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, the goal here is to swindle you out of money. Maybe they ask for money upfront only to sneak out on you or maybe they’ll actually go and fiddle around with your meter or a pipe before wanting payment. Either way, the best thing to do is tell them no.

You can ask to see their credentials, but I’d recommend calling the organization they say they’re with right in front of them and seeing their reaction. No matter which method you choose, always verify by calling legitimate sources be it DWR, Cal Water or whomever they claim they work for.

This particular scam obviously isn’t limited to water utility. I recommend caution no matter who they say they’re with. Like I said, people pretend to be PG&E, phone companies like AT&T and probably dozens of other entities.

Stay safe out there folks.

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Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at [email protected].