Public Service Electric & Gas is alerting its customers to a scam involving pre-paid debt cards.

A Spanish-speaking individual pretending to be a PSE&G employee will call a customer saying they work for the company’s “disconnect collection department,” the company said in a press release Tuesday. The person tells the customer that they have an overdue balance and their service will be shut off that day unless they pay their balance using a prepaid debit card.

Customers are told to purchase a Green Dot Money Pak card and put a balance on it and provide the cashier with the phone number of the person who called them.

After the customer provides PSE&G with the card number, the scammer transfers the funds to a prepaid card and cashes it in at an ATM.

Scammers seem to be targeting customers in Hispanic neighborhoods, the company said.

PSE&G is working with law enforcement agencies to investigate the scam.

Customers who doubt the legitimacy of any alleged call from PSE&G should call the utility company at 800-436-7734.

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