People are being told to be vigilant after numerous reports of cruel scammers sending bogus text messages about the energy bill discount. Homes in the West Midlands have been hit hard by the scam, reports BirminghamLive, and people have been told they should be aware of a potential increase in the number of scammers in the coming months.
Heartless con artists are attempting to exploit the fears of families concerned about the effect of the cost-of-living crisis and their bills spiralling out of control
And there are particular concerns about older and vulnerable people, who might be more likely to fall victim to a text message scam. Stuart Anderson, the MP for Wolverhampton South West, said he had been contacted by a number of constituents who said they had been sent the text.
Mr Anderson then alerted people to the scam on Twitter. He said: "I have been receiving emails from constituents regarding text messages. If you receive messages such as these, please do not respond as it is a scam. You can report the scam by forwarding the text message to 7726."
The phoney message claims to be from the Government and tells the recipient they have been deemed to be eligible for the £400 energy bill discount and includes a link where people can apply. Anyone who gets this message has been urged to ignore it and report it.
But with so many desperate to get help with bills and the text appearing authentic, there are fears many will not realise it is a scam. There are further fears that other areas of the UK will be targeted by the scam in the coming months.
All households connected to the energy supply will be automatically eligible for the discount, so there is no need to apply. For those who pay via direct debit, the amount will be deducted directly from their energy payments.
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