People expecting the Government's energy rebate over the coming months are being warned to watch out for scammers trying to take advantage. Most UK households will be receiving a £400 discount on their bills over the autumn and winter as part of the Government's cost of living support.
However, scammers are now trying to take advantage by sending texts that look like they are from the energy regulator, Ofgem, asking the recipient to click on a link and enter their bank details in order to receive the rebate. There have also been reports of people being phoned by scammer with the same aim.
A recent study on scam calls in the UK by the business broadband experts at Bionic analysed data from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Action Fraud over the past 13 months.
The study found that:
Calls claiming to be able to save consumers money on their energy bills were the second most common overall after broadband scams. Popular scams included calls about double-glazed windows to conserve heating or about changing your energy supply.
Energy bill scams were the most common type of scam call in many parts of the UK.
November was the worst month for scams. Scammers seem to prey on the fact that people are more likely to respond to phone calls in colder months when spending more time indoors. The concern is that cost of living scammers will have even more opportunity to prey on fears over heating bills as we head into colder months.
To help consumers protect themselves, content manager at Bionic, Les Roberts, has provided the following advice:
Ofgem has stated that any deduction to energy bills due to the support scheme will come directly from your energy supplier and will be automatically applied to your energy bill. There is no need to apply for the scheme. If you are currently on a traditional prepayment meter you will receive redeemable vouchers to the same value as the discount.
Neither Ofgem nor your energy provider would ask for bank details over a text or phone call to access the energy bills support scheme. You only need to contact your supplier if you have not received the first discount instalment of £66 by the end of October.
If you receive the pictured text, or something similar, do not click the link. Report the number for free by forwarding the text to 7726 so your phone provider can investigate and ban the sender. You can also report the scam by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
If you didn’t initiate the conversation and you are asked to share private details, or if you are pressured into making decisions without being allowed to consult your family or friends, it is very likely that you are being scammed.
The best thing to do if you are not 100% convinced by the caller is to hang up the phone.
If you do fall victim to a scam the most important points to remember are:
Change all your online banking passwords, not just the compromised ones.
Contact your bank account or credit card company to freeze or cancel your cards. Remember, some banking apps allow you to quickly freeze your card.
Report the scam.
Mr Roberts added: "Scammers will often claim to be from reputable companies and use convincing language that will make you want to reply. For example, they might offer you money or free products. Most recently, we've seen scammers jumping on the back of recent news to try to convince people that they are eligible for an energy bills rebate.
"If you think a scam seems suspicious, go to the official body and reply directly. Do not reply to the text or email itself as you may be providing scammers with your personal data.
"Having personal details like your phone number and email address publicly available on social media or websites make you a much easier target for hackers. Ensure that this information is hidden so that you can better protect yourself.
"Always check the 'Info' section of who has texted you. This can provide insight into their phone number or email address. If their number is hidden, or if their number looks suspicious (such as a business using a mobile number) you've likely been contacted by someone trying to steal your data and you should not reply. Report a scam text message to the NCSC."
