A new wave of “energy support” scams is emptying bank accounts across the UK, and women are being hit hardest. The cons look like genuine relief on rising bills — a refund link here, a smart‑meter “upgrade” there. The trick is brutal in its simplicity: catch people who manage the home budget, rush them, and take their money.
A woman in a fleece opens an email that looks like a lifeline: “Energy Support Scheme — claim your refund today”. It uses her postcode, her supplier’s logo, even a friendly tone that sounds like the letter that came last winter.
She clicks. The form asks for a birthdate “to confirm eligibility”, then a bank card “to route your rebate faster”. She hesitates, then thinks of the latest bill and finishes the entry. The page refreshes, goes blank, and her gut drops.
It took 17 minutes.
The energy refund con, hiding in plain sight
Fraudsters know that energy bills are the stress point of the year, so they dress the con as help. Messages arrive at school run time or after bedtime when heads are full and hands are busy. Many households rely on women to juggle bills, meters, direct debits, and supplier emails — and that’s exactly where the grip tightens.
We’ve all had that moment when a message lands and feels like an answer, not a threat. One reader told me she clicked a “meter upgrade” link while stirring pasta and trying to cancel a club subscription. Another said a caller knew her address and MPAN number, which sounded official enough to hand over one-time passcodes. The trap isn’t technical genius. It’s timing.
Here’s how it works. Scammers clone supplier branding and copy Ofgem language, then push links through text, email and social feeds. They harvest data from previous hacks, public databases and old comparison sites to sprinkle in details that sound private. The pitch is neat: a refund, a voucher, a deposit for a smart meter appointment. The goal is bank details or an authentication code. Once they have it, money moves fast.
Protect your bills: simple moves to beat it
Use a five-second rule: stop, switch device, verify. Pause before clicking anything, then move to another device and open your supplier’s app or website from scratch. Look in “Bills”, “Messages” or your in-app inbox. If a refund is real, it will sit there too. If it’s not, you’ll see nothing, which is your answer.
When someone calls, hang up and call back using the number on your bill or the supplier’s website. Don’t rely on the number they give you or the one that shows on your screen. Set up “Confirmation of Payee” on your banking app and never add a new payee by link. Let’s be honest: nobody does that every day. Make it a weekend habit and it sticks.
No energy supplier will ask you to pay an “upgrade deposit” over the phone. If a message says “click to claim your support”, type your supplier’s name into your browser instead. Add a call blocker on your mobile, and register landlines with the Telephone Preference Service. Tell your bank immediately if you shared codes — speed can stop a transfer. Pride is expensive; a two-minute call isn’t.
Small steps, fewer losses
Start with language cues. Scammers rush you with fake deadlines, unusual payment methods, or odd grammar that feels almost right. Real refunds don’t arrive with threats or 10 pm text nudges. Bold claims travel fast; money moves faster. **Hang up, take a breath, and call your supplier using the number on your bill.**
Don’t feel rude for refusing to answer “security questions” when they called you. That’s the point: if they dialled you, they can prove who they are, not the other way around. Decline politely and call back. Review your bank’s alert settings and switch on card controls. If life is busy, give yourself a simple phrase to buy time: “I’ll check my account — thanks”.
Never share your bank details or photo ID in reply to an email or text about energy support. If you slipped once, you aren’t alone, and your next move matters more than your last.
“I thought I was being careful,” said Maya, 38. “They knew my tariff and the exact date my fix ended. When I saw the supplier logo, I stopped thinking and started hoping. That’s when they got me.”
- Real refunds don’t need your full card number or 3‑digit code.
- Ofgem will never cold‑call you or issue rebates via text links.
- Look for sender domains ending in your supplier’s real address, not lookalikes with extra letters.
- Requests for gift cards, bank transfers, or crypto = walk away.
- Urgent tone, capital letters, strange hours: classic bait.
Why women are being targeted — and what to share tonight
Scammers read the room. They know many mums handle the login passwords, meter readings, direct debits and cost‑cutting chats at home. They also know that decision fatigue is real at 8 pm, and that WhatsApp groups carry trusted links without much checking. That mix makes a perfect hunting ground.
Talk about this in plain words with friends and family. Share a screenshot of a fake text in your group chat and write what you did next. Post two sentences on Facebook: one warning, one tip. If you run a community page, pin a reminder: “Refunds don’t arrive by text — log in to your supplier to check.” Small warnings work best when they sound like you.
There’s a kinder angle too. Some people are choosing heat or food this week, and a message that looks like a £150 credit feels like oxygen. No one is “too clever” to click. That’s why human speed bumps beat tech tricks: pause, switch device, verify. Then tell someone else what you did. The ripple is the defence.
| Point clé | Détail | Intérêt pour le lecteur |
|---|---|---|
| Verify away from the message | Open your supplier app or website directly, not via links | Prevents phishing and keeps control in your hands |
| Call back using trusted numbers | Use the number on your bill, not the one that called you | Breaks the scammer’s script and stops social engineering |
| Lock down payments | Enable Confirmation of Payee and card controls in your banking app | Catches mismatched payees and blocks fast transfers |
FAQ :
- How do energy rebate scams usually look?They copy supplier branding and Ofgem wording, then push a link to “claim” a refund or book a smart meter. The link leads to a form that harvests bank details and one‑time passcodes.
- Are women really being targeted more?Fraud advisers say women often manage household bills and are targeted during busy windows. Reports show a pattern of messages timed for childcare hours and evening chores.
- I clicked a link — what now?Call your bank’s fraud line immediately and freeze your card. Change your email and supplier passwords, then enable 2FA. Check your supplier account for changes, and log a report with Action Fraud.
- How can I tell if a message is real?Don’t decide from the message. Decide from your account. Log in via your app or typed web address. If it’s genuine, you’ll see the same alert there.
- What should I tell older relatives or new mums?Give them one line: “Refunds don’t come by text — call the number on your bill.” Stick it on the fridge. Offer to be their call‑back buddy for anything money‑related.
