British Gas Customers Alerted to Scam Emails Offering Fake £200 Thermostat
British Gas customers are being warned about a sophisticated email scam that could potentially target anyone, not just those with the energy firm. According to consumer watchdog Which?, "dodgy emails claiming to be from well-known energy companies will contain links that will go on to steal your personal and financial information if clicked on."
Details of the Fraudulent Scheme
Examining one particular scam, the watchdog discovered an email pretending to be from British Gas. The message told customers they could claim "a free Google Nest thermostat," suggesting this freebie could save households £200 annually. This represents just one of the numerous fraudulent energy supplier emails currently circulating.
The consumer champions explain: "The catch is that you have to follow a malicious link and complete a short survey to receive the free thermostat. The survey will gather details that the fraudster will use themselves, or your details will be traded, enabling fraudsters to target you with more scams."
British Gas Official Warning and Safety Tips
Talking about scams in general, and not this specific one, on its website British Gas warns: "Some scam emails are easy to spot. They often contain spelling mistakes, incorrect addresses, unusual formatting and other clues. But others are more convincing."
British Gas says you should look out for the following:
- Personalisation: Our emails will always be personalised to you. We’ll use your name and include your customer number. Beware of emails that greet you as ‘customer’ or by your email address.
- Suspicious Requests: Be suspicious of any email you weren’t expecting, or that asks you to do something unusual like make an unscheduled payment.
- Sender Verification: Emails can show in your inbox as having come from ‘British Gas’ when they haven’t. Double-check the sender details for a @britishgas.co.uk email address.
- No Sensitive Info Requests: We’ll never ask you for your password or any other personal or sensitive information by email. We’ll also never ask you to reply to an email directly.
- Link Checking: Typically, the links in our emails will direct you to a britishgas.co.uk webpage. Hover over links to check where they’re sending you before clicking on them.
- Attachments: Apart from your welcome email, which we attach your contract or agreement to, we don’t add attachments to our emails. Don’t open attachments in any later emails claiming to be from us.
Phishers often use urgency or threats to pressure customers into taking immediate action, such as claiming their account will be suspended. This also will commonly include pressure to click on links or download attachments with claims of urgency. They want the customers to feel flustered and rushed.
Phishers will also often offer incentives, for example gift cards, discounts or free access if you respond quickly.
Which? Urges Extreme Caution
The organisation highlights that scammers will create a sense of urgency to pressure you into signing up for things or sharing information, hoping you'll act quickly and only question it later, when it's too late.
Which? stresses that unusual messages, calls or emails must be "treated with caution." As well as this, "information given to you in this way should be verified."
They may also deploy "special offers, heavy discounts, huge savings or competitions to gather your data and get you to part with your money." If something seems too good to be true, it likely is. However, if you fall victim to a scam and lose money, it's recommended that you contact your bank immediately.
Reporting and Additional Precautions
Make sure you use the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Report Fraud (formerly known as Action Fraud) or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland, Which? recommends.
If you receive a suspicious text, Which? says you should look out for the following:
- Messages from unknown numbers
- Requests for personal and financial information
- Texts which include links
- Poor spelling and grammar
- Being pressured to take action quickly
You can report scam texts by forwarding the message for free to 7726. For suspicious emails, British Gas advises: "If you’re ever in doubt, to know if an email from us is genuine please attach what you’ve received to a new email and send it to phishing@britishgas.co.uk for us to investigate. Then delete it."
Reporting messages to us this way is free, helps keep you safe and allows us to block fraudsters’ numbers so we can prevent or shut down similar scams faster in future. Please also be aware of fake websites which claim to be British Gas or Centrica and report the URL to us immediately at the same email address as above.
