Scam Watch
The Pitch: Pay us or you’ll sit in the dark.
The scam: Southern California Edison warned of several incidents in which impostors claimed to be utility employees in order to bilk customers.
The incidents: Scammers arrived in a truck and demanded that customers pay or their power would be cut off. An impostor told a customer to purchase cash cards for a payment. Fraud artists worked in pairs so that one could distract customers while the other stole valuables.
The advice: Edison says its workers don’t show up without appointments and never ask for money or credit cards on the spot.
Info: A guide to identifying legitimate Edison workers is at www.sce.com/Safety/SafetyTips/IdentifyinganSCEEmployee.
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
