Which? consumer right experts have issued a warning to anyone who receives an email seemingly from Ofgem or about the energy bill rebate scheme.
With many expecting help from the government to help with the cost of living, they may be easily misled by scammers. Cyber criminals are using the dire rates of inflation as a way to target those who are most vulnerable.
Emails using the Ofgem logo and branding are claiming to offer an 'energy bill rebate scheme', directing recipients to a fake online portal. There, victims are urged to share personal and payment details in order to claim their refund.
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Which? said the email explains you can claim a £200 discount on energy bills this Autumn and a £500 Council Tax Rebate. It also claims that you have to apply before September.
On the fake site, victims are confronted with a webform in order to 'set up a direct debit'. It initially requests your full name, date of birth and email address.
However it later also asks for bank payment card details. Which said: "Anyone providing these details to the scam site is likely to find their card fraudulently debited and would also be at grave risk of their identity and online accounts being taken over. Both Which? and Ofgem have reported this scam website to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)."
Email addresses to look out for
Which provided a list of email addresses that are known for sending the spoof emails. Here are some that you should be cautious of:
- info@rebate-ogem.com
- info@totalsolutions24-7.co.uk
- reservations@expedicar.ro
- info@globalskyward.com
How to spot a scam energy rebate email
Legitimate emails from the regulator will always come from an address ending '@ofgem.gov.uk'. The regulator has also published a guide with tips on how to tell genuine Ofgem communications from false ones.
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