Householders are being warned of a new scam email claiming to offer a refund worth hundreds from British Gas.
The fake emails are targeting the most vulnerable by convincing them they've overpaid on energy bills from 2020-2021 and are owed a £315 refund as a result. The message displays official British Gas watermarks, a reference number and company branding to appear more convincing.
It reads: "British Gas wants to inform you that you are eligible for a payment refund. Our records indicates that you have paid more than you should have for your British Gas service from 2020 - 2021. Because of this reason and that we value our clients we have decided to refund the total amount which you have overpaid."
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The message goes on to list a very attracting refund amount of £315, along with a link to claim the cash, which people are being urged not to click, reports The Mirror. Recipients are being told to ‘Claim your refund now!’, although clicking the link to 'claim' could risk your information being leaked to the criminals.
But despite the email appearing legitimate at first glance, there may be a way to identify whether or not it's real. First, it's important to note that British Gas correspondence would typically be managed through the British Gas official website and your online account.
Since the company would rarely, if ever, send direct emails out to customers, recipients should automatically disregard them, even if they're unsure of its legitimacy. Another sign that you could be facing a British Gas email scam is to pay attention to who the email is addressing.
The new circulating scam is being addressed to personal email addresses rather than names, which is a potential giveaway that you may be dealing with a fraudster. Those who fall victim to the scam should avoid clicking on any links and call British Gas to check the authenticity before taking any action.
If the email is identified as a scam, it can be reported to British Gas and to report@phishing.gov.uk Recipients' email providers will typically have a 'report' button, which can be used to alert the system of a suspicious email address.
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