With the cost of living on the rise, many households are struggling to make ends meet now more than ever - but people have been urged to be on the lookout for criminals capitalising on the crisis.
The first instalment of a £650 cost of living payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began arriving in bank accounts today , with around eight million low income households qualifying for the extra support. But some fraudsters are using the payments in order to trick people into parting with their cash.
Martin Lewis’ website MoneySavingExpert has issued a warning when it comes to receiving messages claiming to be from DWP. They have also told people to be wary of anyone who gets in touch claiming to be the local council or energy regulator Ofgem as two other sophisticated scams continue to make the rounds.
READ MORE: Martin Lewis issues warning to anybody with energy bill direct debit
These scammers are making the most of the cost of living crisis by claiming to be a reliable source who can give you a payout - but instead are out to steal your bank details to leave you out of pocket, The Mirror reports . Here are three of the most commonly seen scams to watch out for:
Texts asking you to claim or apply for cost of living payments
DWP has told people to watch out for scammers who get in touch via text or email claiming to be from the department or from ‘Gov.org’. The messages invite people to claim or apply for the cost of living payments - but this is paid into the accounts of those who are eligible automatically, and you don’t need to do anything or get in touch with DWP in order to claim it.
Callers asking for bank details to issue a council tax rebate
Councils have reminded customers that they will never ask for bank or card details over the phone, after reports of scammers calling people to offer the £150 council tax rebate. This rebate is paid automatically in most cases, and councils collect bank details using secure online forms if they require them - MoneySavingExpert says that anyone receiving a call they’re not sure is genuine should hang up immediately and call their council directly.
Anyone offering an energy rebate from Ofgem
Energy regulator Ofgem issued a warning last month about a scam making the rounds that claims to be able to offer a £400 rebate from them. People are still receiving scam texts inviting them to apply for the rebate.
While Rishi Sunak announced in May that all households would receive a £400 energy grant, this will be paid from October automatically and Ofgem will never text customers to get money. Anyone who receives a message claiming to be from Ofgem is encouraged not to respond to it or click on any links.
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