Households have been told to be aware of scam emails wrongly telling them to claim council tax rebates from energy regulator Ofgem.
The email tells recipients they have until June 1, 2022, to claim an energy bill discount worth £200, plus a non-repayable council tax rebate of £250.
It then instructs people to click a link, which takes them to a fake Ofgem website where you’ll be asked to enter your personal details.
The message brands the official Ofgem logo but isn’t actually from the energy regulator.
The bogus email reads: "Starting today the Government has announced an energy rebate scheme. You have to apply for energy bill rebate before June 01 2022."
There is then a link at the bottom of the email saying "claim bill rebate now" - you shouldn't click on this, or share any of your personal details.
MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) said it has heard from several people who’ve received the fake emails.
Have you received this fake email? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
A spokesperson from Ofgem told MSE: "We take these attempts to exploit consumers very seriously and we’ve already reported this malicious incident to the National Cyber Security Centre which will investigate further.
"We have also alerted our consumer contacts and posted across our social media channels, advising people to be vigilant."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced £350 of help to cope with rising energy bills and the cost of living crisis.
The first part of this is a £150 council tax rebate for households in bands A to D, that does not need to be repaid.
But £200 of that money will only arrive in October and has to be paid back, in what Martin Lewis has described as a "loan-not-a-loan".
Households in England, Scotland and Wales will get the £200 upfront discount from October. It'll then need to be paid back at a rate of £40 per year over five years from 2023 to 2027.
Energy suppliers will be loaned the money to do this by the Government.
If you've received this scam email, you have Suspicious Email Reporting Scheme (SERS). Texts and screenshots should be sent to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you've already responded to a scam, call your bank directly and cancel any recurring payments.
You should also call the 159 hotline and report the scam to the police through Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Scams can be reported anonymously on the Action Fraud website as well.
If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website, or Police Scotland on 101.
