UK scam offers fake £400 energy bill discount

A new UK phishing scam urges victims to apply for a £400 energy bill discount, which is, in fact, automatic.

What appears to be a message from the official United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service says that the recipient is eligible for a discount on the energy bill and prompts them to apply for it. As in many similar scam instances, the added link leads to a domain unrelated to the official GOV.UK website.

The link then leads to a fake GOV.UK page, which asks the individual to register by providing personal information to be eligible for the scheme.

“We need this information to determine how much you are eligible for. This information will only be provided to your energy supplier,” the fake page reads when asking for the name, date of birth, phone number, and address.

The user is then asked to confirm who their energy supplier is and is prompted to enter card details, including the card number, expiry date, and security code misspelled as “secuirty.” It is easy to guess that the unlucky user will then lose a sizeable amount of money from their bank account.

In reality, the £400 energy bill discount is automatic and non-repayable, meaning that there is no need to separately register for it.

“The discount is automatic. If you get a message asking for your bank details, this could be a scam. You can report messages you think are suspicious,” says GOV.UK.

You can also report scams and phishing attempts within the UK by forwarding suspicious messages to 7726. If you’ve become a victim of phishing or hacking, you should report it in one of the following ways:

• In England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, visit www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
• In Scotland, report to Police Scotland by calling 101.