Beware Energy Bill Scam texts

Scammers are taking advantage of the financial crisis to try to get people's financial details.

Action Fraud has warned of fake text messages purporting to be from the UK 'government'. The texts state that the recipient is "owed" or "eligible" for an energy bill discount as part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme. The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal your personal and financial information.

You can see screenshots of the text messages on their Twitter post here.

How to protect yourself

• Energy Bill Discount : £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from October 2022. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

• Spotted a suspicious text message? Forward it to 7726 (it's free of charge). If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it's found to be malicious.