Verizon announces a $25,000 reward program to protect communities from network vandalism

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verizon today announced a $25,000 reward program for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals involved in vandalism that have cut off thousands of Verizon customers from critical wireless and wireline communications services.

Over the past several days, vandals cut multiple fiber cables causing service interruptions for customers in Los Angeles and parts of Southern California. Acts of network theft and vandalism represent a direct threat to the safety and security of our communities, emergency services, healthcare and all who rely on critical communications. Vandals also put their own lives at risk when perpetrating these crimes. 

“These are criminal acts, affecting people’s safety and are putting lives at risk,” said Vandana Venkatesh, Verizon’s chief legal officer. “We are actively investigating several recent incidents and are pursuing all avenues to assist law enforcement in finding and convicting the perpetrators of these acts.” 

According to industry data, California is at particular risk for vandalism – when it comes to the economic impact of these outages, the state saw the largest losses at $252.6M:

• California and Texas account for more than half of all reported incidents.
• California is the hardest hit state with 6,297 attacks in 2025 and with Los Angeles in particular experiencing 1,131 incidents.

It’s not just California, nationwide, the industry deals with thousands of incidents of vandalism of cables each year. Verizon stands committed to protecting America’s infrastructure.

“Across the country, people rely on us for critical connectivity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Joe Russo, EVP & President of Global Networks and Technology, “Our network and security teams are working with law enforcement at all levels in tracking down the perpetrators and bringing these egregious acts to an end.  This must stop because our communities should not be put at risk by thieves who vandalize or steal cables.”

The company is offering rewards of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals who intentionally damage Verizon equipment. Anyone witnessing vandalism should call 911 and then contact Verizon’s Security department at 1-800-997-3287.

This announcement was originally published by Verizon. Read the original press release.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

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