Millions of households across the country will be keeping a close eye on their spending habits this autumn in an effort to stick to a budget to combat the ongoing rise in everyday living costs such as food, energy bills and petrol. Inflation soared again in July to yet another 40-year high of 10.1% and energy bills are set to go up from £1,971 to £3,549 in October, putting even more pressure on purse strings.
Financial pressure can make people vulnerable to scammers offering fake deals, goods or refunds which turn out to be clever ploys to obtain personal details and gain access to bank or savings accounts. Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has identified several scams specifically targeting consumers as a result of the cost of living crisis.
One of the most dangerous scams may dupe people into thinking they are due an energy rebate or refund as it purports to be from Ofgem, the industry regulator, or your energy supplier.
Cifas has received a rising number of reports of phishing emails purporting to be from your energy supplier. The email states that the recipient is eligible for a payment refund as they paid more than they should have in 2020-21 for their energy.
The email contains a link which then directs the customer to fill out a form with their personal and financial information.
The email has also bypassed spam filters, with the energy company logo being used but the email domain not being from the energy supplier.
Retail consumer website, Which?, is also continuing to warn members of the public of phishing emails purporting to be from Ofgem stating that the recipient is entitled to a refund and provided with a link to a fake portal to share their personal and financial details to claim the refund.
Fake energy refund email domains identified include:
- info@rebate-ogem.com
- info@totalsolutions24-7.co.uk
- reservations@expedicar.ro
- info@globalskyward.com.
Consumers should always check the authenticity of emails before considering parting with personal or financial information.
You can check if the offer is legitimate by contacting the organisation or service provider using details provided on other correspondence you have from them.
You can report a suspicious website to the National Cyber Security Centre and if you are unsure whether a website is genuine or not, you can also use the ‘Check a Website’ tool on the Cifas website here.
Amber Burridge, Head of Intelligence for Cifas, said: “As the cost of living crisis continues, criminals are using a variety of ways to target unsuspecting victims in order to steal money and personal information that can be used to commit fraud.
“Remember that no matter how an offer comes to your attention, there are very few occasions where there is a legitimate need to hand over your bank details. Fraud can be executed in stages, and criminals will try a combination of different techniques, from sending ‘free products’ to unsolicited calls purporting to be from a trusted organisation.”
Cifas also advise everyone to:
- Think carefully before responding to unsolicited calls, texts or emails
- Always challenge requests for personal or financial information
Amber added: “Just like you should never give out a one-time passcode, do not give anyone permission to remotely access your computer. It is crucial that we continue to remain vigilant of fraud and work together to stop criminals from exploiting the public.”
Anyone that believes they have been the victim of a scam should contact their bank or financial service provider immediately and report it to Police Scotland via 101.
To keep up to date with the cost of living crisis, join in the conversation on our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out three times each week - sign up here.
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