With the costs of road fuel, gas & electricity, postage, and many food products escalating at the present time, please be aware that scammers are taking advantage of this situation.

Cyber criminals claiming to represent Ofgem are targeting householders offering them fake energy rebates so they can access their bank accounts and steal the contents.

Action Fraud is warning customers not to be duped by emails saying they are due a rebate on their energy and council tax bills. The watchdog has been bombarded with more than 750 complaints in just four days about the official looking emails promising hard-up households money off.

They also recommend checking email addresses as any emails to or from Ofgem always end @ofgem.gov.uk. Another key point is to check the branding of these communications because the Ofgem logo will always be present in official communications, and it should never look stretched, blurry or distorted.

In a council tax energy rebate scam, fraudsters claim to be associated with the council and explain a refund is due. They then ask for bank details in order to pay out the £150 rebate.

Action Fraud says: “Your bank, or any official organisation, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you need to check that it’s a genuine message, contact them directly. “

Victims may also be targeted by someone claiming to be from a legal company collecting outstanding debts on behalf of the energy companies. Victims who fall for this may still be left with debts to pay to the energy companies.

There is also evidence of door-to-door scamming that impersonates the energy companies with offers of cut-price deals, so defrauding customers. If you receive any unannounced house visits, calls or texts from fraudsters claiming to be them, report the scam to Action Fraud.

If you think you’ve fallen for a scam or have given any personal information like your bank details, contact your bank immediately for help.

Other Community News:

– Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch Association was at the Townfield House Mosque on Totteridge Road on Friday, 10th June, for two hours and spoke to many of the people attending Friday Prayers. Our Director of Operations was invited into the mosque to say a few words. Afterwards, ten people signed up for Neighbourhood Watch membership.