SAN ANTONIO — CPS Energy reports several San Antonio customers have received calls about individuals posing as utility employees asking for payment.

• Several CPS Energy customers are receiving scam calls 
• Scammers will ask for money in the form a gift cards or prepaid debit cards
• CPS says they will never call customers to threaten them 

"Basically what this is, is a scam," CPS Energy spokesperson John Moreno said. "Calling our customers, demanding money, threatening to cut off service. Quite frankly, CPS Energy does not do business that way."

Moreno said CPS Energy calls customers to remind them of past due bills, but never to threaten them.

"They fear that their service will be cut off so maybe they fall victim to these scams,” Moreno said. “No one is excluded from this, this happens not only in San Antonio but it happens across the country."

One customer who wanted to remain anonymous said he got a call from what he thought was CPS Energy. He didn't think twice when the caller asked for him to load $450 onto a prepaid debit card and pay over the phone.

"The customer may see 210-353-2222 pop up on their Caller ID, and it even says CPS Energy," Moreno said. "But when they ask you to make a payment, they're giving you an 1-800 number and they're asking you to buy a prepaid debit card."

CPS Energy recently became a member of Utilities United Against Scams, which has helped to shut down more than 2,000 toll free numbers.

"That's why we want customers to be vigilant and hang up and call us when they receive any type of call that says "you owe us money, you must pay immediately, or we're going to cut you off. That's an immediate red flag," Moreno said.