A Yucca Valley resident reported that they received a text message from someone who represented themselves as someone from Southern California Edison. The text messages said that the resident needed to pay to have the meter upgraded to continue to receive electricity. The victim sent two Venmo transactions totaling nearly $500. When the fraud was realized the victim contacted the bank to try and stop the payments and close the account – however most of the time when payments are collected via an app like Venmo, they are very hard to reverse.
The Sheriff wants to remind everyone to always verify sources and do your due diligence when talking to someone who is calling or texting and asking for money. Utility companies and government institutions will never ask you to send unsecured payments via an App – and if you suspect someone is fraudulently requesting money – hang up and contact law enforcement.
These types of scams have become more common – and there have been a wave of these reported in the morongo basin. Residents have recently been scammed by fake rentals ads, and fraudsters posing as FBI agents and pressuring victims to send money.
