Thousands of households across the UK are being warned about scam texts offering people the opportunity to check if they are eligible for the government’s energy bills support scheme.
The £400 rebate will see households in England, Scotland and Wales with a domestic electricity account get a non-repayable grant of £400 between October 2022 and March 2023. This will be paid in instalments of £66 in October and November, then £67 from December to March, with the money coming directly off bills.
The deductions are automatic and, as with the cost of living payments paid directly through council tax services, do not require you to take any action. Everyone is eligible for the energy rebate scheme including those on pre-payment meters.
READ MORE: Warning to 4m prepay energy customers who could miss £400 cost of living payment
In one text, sent to a LancsLive reporter, a message from a seemingly normal mobile phone number includes a link and states: “GOV-UK: You can now check your eligibility for the new government energy bills support scheme.”
The link takes you to a clone of the Energy Bills Support Scheme page on GOV.UK, with the addition of a ‘START NOW’ button, which has been created by the cybercriminals. The fake page states: “Register now to receive a £400 non-repayable discount under the Energy Bills Support Scheme.”
Typical features of a fraudulent text or email are the inclusion of links which do not originate from…
