Ofgem recently uncovered and shut down a website that was impersonating the energy regulator.
The fraudulent site was discovered during Ofgem’s routine monitoring activities and falsely claimed to offer energy bill rebates by requesting direct debit details from unsuspecting consumers.
In response to this incident, Ofgem has issued a warning to the public, advising them to be cautious and vigilant against potential ‘Ofgem’ scams.
The regulator emphasises that consumers should always remain cautious of unusual or suspicious requests for personal or bank details and should never share such information with anyone claiming to be from Ofgem.
To verify the legitimacy of any communications purportedly from Ofgem, consumers are advised to check the email addresses used in the correspondence, ensuring they end with ‘@ofgem.gov.uk.’
Additionally, all official Ofgem communications will include the Ofgem logo, which should never appear stretched, blurry, or distorted.
Energy scams can manifest in various ways, with scammers attempting to contact individuals through different channels, including phone calls, emails, social media, text messages, pop-up messages on websites, and even in-person visits.
Ofgem stresses that it would never sell energy, request personal information, or visit consumers’ properties.
If anyone encounters suspicious communication or suspects they have fallen victim to an energy scam, they are urged to report the incident immediately.
For those residing in England or Wales, Action Fraud serves as the reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
In Scotland, individuals can contact Police Scotland at 101 to report the scam.
🚨We’ve just found and shut down a fake website pretending to be Ofgem during our routine monitoring
The site claimed to offer energy bill rebates by asking for direct debit details
THIS IS A SCAM
What to do if you spot a scam website⤵️https://t.co/7O8mpfdW3r
Be #EnergyAware pic.twitter.com/FW1QgL12yL
— Ofgem (@ofgem) July 17, 2023
