Scammers are trying to “rip off" people trying to access support with energy bills, it has been warned. Emails impersonating the Government tell householders they are eligible for a £400 discount under the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).
The emails ask the recipient to share details including their name, address and debit or credit card details in order to “receive the rebate”. But the Government stressed that most households do not need to apply for the energy support because it is received automatically through their electricity bill or via credit or vouchers directly from their electricity supplier.
The EBSS entitles every household in England, Scotland and Wales to a £400 discount to help with bills. Households in Northern Ireland automatically get a £600 payment towards their energy bills through the separate Northern Ireland EBSS.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said: “It is disgusting that scammers seek to rip off people at a time when they are simply trying to get the Government support they’re entitled to. Households with a direct connection to an electricity supplier do not need to apply for the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
“Most customers receive it automatically through their electricity bill and customers on prepayment meters receive a credit or vouchers direct from their electricity supplier. Consumers should stay alert to potential scams and report them when they are suspected.”
More than three quarters of all EBSS vouchers have been redeemed and £1.7 million was used in January alone, BEIS said this week. It means that a record amount of Government support reached some of the country’s most vulnerable households in January, with vouchers redeemed by those on traditional prepayment meters.
The Government said it does not currently have data on the total volume of scams in this area, but it is trying to track down scammers and counteract them. It added that cyber criminals are “opportunistic” and will use issues such as rising energy bills to try to trick people into sharing their financial or personal details.
People who think they have received suspect emails can forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk and to Action Fraud.
