Ahead of energy prices increasing on October 1, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has issued a new scam warning following more than 1,500 reports about fraudulent emails purporting to be about gas and electricity rebates from Ofgem, the independent energy regulator for the UK.
Over a two-week period covering the end of August and start of September, a total of 1,567 phishing emails related to this scam were reported using the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). The purpose of a scam email is often to get you to click a link, this will take you to a website which might download a virus to your computer, or steal passwords or other personal information - this is sometimes known as 'phishing'.
Financial pressure caused by the ongoing cost of living crisis can make people more vulnerable to scammers who offer fake rebates or refunds which turn out to be clever ploys to obtain personal details and gain access to bank or savings accounts.
Commenting on the rise in energy phishing scams, Detective Chief Inspector Hayley King, from the City of London Police, said: “It is shameful that in a time of financial hardship, criminals are targeting members of the public by claiming they are entitled to receiving rebates and refunds.
“If an email is genuine, the company will never push you into handing over your details. Always take a moment to consider if the request you have received is genuine.
“We would always urge people to follow the Take Five to Stop Fraud advice and think carefully before giving out their personal and financial details.”
Ofgem energy refund and rebate phishing scam email
Action Fraud explains that the reported scam emails claim that the recipient is due an energy rebate payment as part of a UK Government scheme and provides links for the recipient to follow to apply for the rebate.
However, the links in the emails lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information.
All of the reported emails display the email subject header ‘Claim your bill rebate now’ and the criminals behind the scam are using the Ofgem logo and colours to make the email appear authentic.
However the emails ask recipients to “apply for an energy bill rebate before September 2020”, which prompted many recipients to realise the emails were not genuine and subsequently report the scam.
An Ofgem spokesperson said: “Protecting consumers is our top priority and it is alarming that vulnerable customers are being preyed upon in this way when people are already struggling so much. That’s why, as the energy regulator, on top of issuing our own warnings and advice, we have asked all energy suppliers to ensure clear and up to date information on scams is easily accessible on their websites.
“We take these attempts to exploit consumers very seriously and work with the National Cyber Security Centre to prevent these malicious attacks.”
It added that if people are unsure if something is a scam they should pause, check and don’t let callers push you into anything.
Ofgem explained: “Genuine organisations won’t mind you calling back, only scammers apply pressure and insist you hand over details immediately.
“If you have any doubts about a message, consumers should contact the organisation directly and not use the numbers or address in the message - use the details from their official website.”
How to protect yourself
The best way to protect yourself from scammers is to contact the organisation directly to check if the communication is genuine.
Don’t use any links or phone numbers in the communication you receive, check previous legitimate documents you have already received and know to be genuine.
If you don’t have any of these to hand, visit the organisation’s official website and look for a ‘contact us’ section which should contain all the details you need.
Remember, no organisation will ever ask you to provide personal information through an email.
Report a suspicious email
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Send emails that feel suspicious, even if you're not certain they're a scam.
To keep up to date with the cost of living crisis, join in the conversation on our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out three times each week - sign up here.
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