Pacific Power is warning its customers and the public of a phone scam targeting utility customers in the Northwest where criminals posing as utility customer service agents are trying to get money and steal personal information.

The fraud is occurring nationwide, but recent days have seen an upsurge in the Northwest. The thieves sometimes use sophisticated deceptive tactics that make it appear to Caller ID systems that the scam call is coming from the utility when it is not. If customers receive such a call, hang up and instead call 1-888-221-7070 to verify the call’s origins.