Millions of Brits will be expecting the first half of the £650 cost of living payment this month.
However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now issued a warning urging people to look out for scams that may see them tricked into losing money. Anyone who is eligible for the government payment will receive it automatically over the next two weeks.
This means that if you receive a text message or email claiming that you need to apply for the money, it could actually be a scam to steal your information, according to the DWP. These kinds of messages are commonly known as phishing scams and aim to get as much private information out of you as possible.
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Phishing scammers aim to steal a wide variety of information, but most commonly they will try to steal your bank details or passwords. A key piece of advice provided by the government is to "not give out private information" and not to "reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you're not sure they're genuine".
Here are some other steps you can take if you believe you're being targeted by a cost of living payment phishing scam:
- Forward any scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk - the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate it.
- Forward a scam text to 7726 - this will report the message to your mobile phone provider free of charge.
If you have lost any money or have been hacked due to an online scam or fraud, you can contact Action fraud either online (you can do this without an account) or call 0300 123 2040. Some scammers may use emails or phone numbers that look like they belong to official government services, if you're in doubt you can search it on gov.uk.
The £650 Cost of Living payment is sent out in two lump sums. People are eligible if they receive certain support, such as Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit.
Most people will receive the first instalment between July 14 and 31, although for those receiving Tax Credits, the first payment is to be made from the autumn and the second from winter 2022. Payments may appear in accounts as “DWP Cost of Living”.
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