Local Business Warns Customers Of Scam

Published Mar 11, 2026 3:54 pm

Email sent out by JS West regarding the bill pay scam—Photo Tracey Petersen

Sonora, CA – A local propane business is warning customers about a scam targeting them and stealing their bill payments.

JS West, a propane service in the Mother Lode, cautions customers about a phone scam where scammers have created fake phone listings online that appear to be the company’s customer service numbers. Instead, company officials report that when these numbers are called, scammers extract information from the caller, allowing them to get an account balance from the JS West office. Then the con artist calls the customers back, posing as an employee to collect a payment.

“Because they have your correct balance, the call can seem completely legitimate,” relayed JS West officials, adding, “As a family-owned company, your trust means everything to us. We are reaching out to make you aware of an active phone payment scam that is targeting propane customers in our area. We want to make sure you have the information you need to protect yourself.”

The company added that it is actively working to address this issue and provided this information to customers:

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

• Always verify our number before calling. Only use phone numbers found on your billing statement or at jswestpropane.com. Do not rely on numbers found through a general internet or Google search.

WHAT WE’RE DOING:

• We have reinforced identity verification procedures across all our offices to prevent our systems from being used in this scheme. We are actively working to identify and report fraudulent listings impersonating JS West online.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED (take the following steps right away):

• Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to cancel any compromised payment cards.
• Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• File a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov.
• File a police report with your local law enforcement.