The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an alert as people are being targeted with a new scam. Fraudsters are texting people with a so-called ‘DWP Notice’, stating that they could be eligible for the Energy Bills Support scheme, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
But this scheme ended in 2023 and has not reopened since. The DWP alerted people on social media saying: “Beware: If you get a text about an ‘Energy Support Scheme’ it is a scam. Find out how to report and recover from any suspicious texts, phone calls, or emails via Stop! Think Fraud.”
Stop! Think Fraud is a campaign aimed at educating the public and protecting them from fraud. It highlights: “Nobody is immune from fraud. The criminals behind it target people online and in their homes, often emotionally manipulating their victims before they steal money or personal data.”
The text message may claim that you could be eligible for the Energy Support Scheme which will provide up to £300 and push a need to submit an application for it and will include a deadline that’s very soon. Energy Bills Support scheme was a genuine DWP initiative to help people cover necessities by offering a non-repayable discount on their energy bills for every household with a domestic electricity connection.
It provided £400 between October 2022 until the end of March 2023. There was no need to apply for the scheme when it was in existence, as it was automatically applied to all eligible households through their energy supplier.
If you do receive a text allegedly from the DWP and want to check its validity, you can forward it to 7726 to confirm. The Stop! Think Fraud campaign notes: “Once you’ve sent it, you’ll receive a reply asking you to reply with the scam texter’s number – which you’re safe to do.”
If you receive a suspicious text through a messaging app, it’s advised to block the number and use the app’s reporting feature to notify the platform about that user’s suspicious behaviour.
Encouraging people to report these suspicious messages, the campaign adds: “Your phone or messaging service provider can find out where the text or call came from and block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.”
According to Which? Research, around 6.6 million adults lost money to scams last year with an average loss of £1,730. It also showed that 73% of adults in the UK have been targeted specifically by government scams such as the one DWP is highlighting now.
