Cost of living: Warning over fake Ofgem energy bill refund scam

People are being warned about a scam energy rebate email purporting to be from Ofgem, the independent energy regulator.
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Action Fraud said there has been a sharp rise in reports relating to fake emails claiming that the recipient is due a rebate payment as part of a government scheme and provides links for the recipient to follow in order to apply for the rebate.

The links in the emails lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information.

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Between Monday, August 22 and Monday, September 5, 1,567 phishing emails related to this scam have been reported via the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS).

All the emails display the email subject header “Claim your bill rebate now”.

Offenders are using the Ofgem brand logo and colours to make the emails look as authentic as possible. However, the emails ask recipients to “apply for an energy bill rebate before September 2020”, which is what prompted many recipients to realise the emails weren’t genuine.

An Ofgem spokesperson said: “We take these attempts to exploit consumers very seriously and work with the National Cyber Security Centre to prevent these malicious attacks. If people are unsure if something is a scam they should pause, check and don’t let callers push you into anything.

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“Genuine organisations won’t mind you calling back - only scammers apply pressure and insist you hand over details immediately. If you have any doubts about a message, consumers should contact the organisation directly and not use the numbers or address in the message – use the details from their official website.”