People are being warned about a number of cost of living scams which are in circulation.
As people struggle with the rise in costs, criminals are capitalising on the cost of living crisis. Fraudsters are using fake offers on utility bills and support payments to steal peoples hard-earned cash.
Some of the scams include scammers sending malicious texts, fraudsters calling up homes pretending to be from the council and some people pretending to be the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority Ofgem.
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According to consumer rights website Which?, there are a number of scams which are targeting people.
Fraudsters posing as Ofgem
One of these scams is a fake email pretending to be Ofgem which lures victims into handing over their personal details. According to Which?, the emails use the official Ofgem logo and branding and claim to offer an 'energy bill rebate scheme'.
It directs recipients to a fake online portal. There, victims are urged to share personal and payment details in order to claim their refund. If the person clicks on the link, they are taken to a fake website.
The fake email claims that you get a £200 discount on energy bills this autumn and a £500 Council Tax Rebate. While this email appears to come from Ofgem, if you examine the sender's email you can see that the address has been spoofed.
Fake emails come from info@rebate-ogem.com, info@totalsolutions24-7.co.uk, reservations@expedicar.ro, and info@globalskyward.com, according to Which?. On arriving at the fake site, victims are confronted with a form they are told to fill in order to 'set up a direct debit', which initially requests your full name, date of birth and email address.
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.
Text offering fake government energy bill support
This scam capitalises on the fact that the government’s £400 energy grant is now being rolled out. It comes from various numbers and claims to offer support with your energy bills.
One of the scam texts, sent from the number 07542 337161 said: "GOV.UK: You are eligible for a discounted energy bill under the Energy Bills Support Scheme. You can apply here: [https://energy.support-rebate.com]." The text also uses a link containing the words "energy", "support" and "rebate" to make it appear legitiamate.
However, all information should be found on the the government website. When you click on the link, it leads to a new window warning you that the website is suspicious and potentially dangerous.
Which? warned people not to click on the link and said the grant will be applied to your energy account automatically.
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