Dear Watch Member,
Action Fraud is warning the public about a sharp rise in reports of fake emails purporting to be from Ofgem, the independent energy regulator for Great Britain. The emails claim 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.
Between Monday 22nd August 2022 and Monday 5th September 2022, a total of 1,567 phishing emails related to this scam were reported via the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). They all displayed the email subject header “Claim your bill rebate now”. Offenders are using the Ofgem brand logo and colours to make their emails look as authentic as possible. However, the emails asked recipients to “apply for an energy bill rebate before September 2020”, which prompted many recipients to realise the emails weren’t genuine.
Protect yourself and others:
If you have doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly. Don’t use the numbers or address in the message – use the contact details from their official website. Remember, your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email.
If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, forward it to [email protected]. Even if you’re not certain it’s a scam – they can check.
For advice on how to stay secure online, please visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk.
If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]
Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]