An urgent email and text warning has been issued to UK households, as scammers try to cash in on the upcoming energy price rise.
Millions are expected to be hit with force by the October gas and electricity surge, and cyber criminals are attempting to trick vulnerable consumers into a false sense of security by offering money back on bills.
The elusive scam comes in the form of a ‘GOV.UK’ style email or SMS, with recipients alerted that they are eligible for a discount under the Energy Support Scheme.
Read more: Four ways greedy scammers are cashing in on cost of living crisis
A link then features with anyone clicking it being redirected to a false UK Government website promising a £400 bill refund, reports The Express. This is where the scammers attempt to siphon personal information and details, like addresses, phone numbers, and bank credentials.
Although these attacks have been preying on vulnerable users over the space of the past month, a recent spike in fake messages has seen over 1,500 people report that they have been targeted to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. With the price rise expected to come October 1, it’s expected that more cyber attacks will continue to land in inboxes and mobile phones – so now is a valuable time to become more aware of vicious spams and scams.
Speaking about the latest attack, energy regulator Ofgem said: “It is alarming that vulnerable customers are being preyed upon in this way when people are already struggling so…
