One in 10 targeted by cruel winter fuel payment scam: Here’s how to spot it

Pensioners have been urged to watch out for winter fuel scams in the run up to the colder months as voice phishing scam attacks become increasingly prevalent.

More than 70 per cent of people have been targeted with a scam in the past, and one in ten have been approached by scammers impersonating the Government or an energy company, contacting them about their energy bills or winter fuel scams, according to data from Yorkshire Building Society.

With winter approaching, these fraudsters are increasingly preying on vulnerable pensioners and low-income households, who may rely on winter fuel payments and be concerned about living costs and paying their energy bills.

Some 100,000 pensioners are expected to lose their winter fuel payment this year after the Government set a £35,000 income cut off. 

All pensioners will receive it, but those who aren’t eligible will have it clawed back via the tax system – unless they have opted out. 

In the past month alone, there have been some 15,000 reports relating to fraudulent winter fuel payment activity, according to HMRC.

These scammers often try to manipulate their victims into believing they need to make split second decisions, warning them that time is running out or they are going to miss a deadline

Around 14 per cent of those targeted by these scams have lost money, or personal information, as a result, according to Yorkshire Building Society.

Scammers are targeting victims using phone calls, emails and text messages, the building society said.

Hannah Bingle, Financial Crime Awareness Specialist at Yorkshire Building Society, warns: ‘Scammers are increasingly exploiting the financial pressures many households are facing, particularly around rising energy costs.

‘By impersonating trusted organisations like the Government or energy providers, they send convincing messages offering fake discounts, grants, or winter fuel payments.’

This comes as voice phishing scams, known as vishing, have also surged 1,600 per cent over the past year, according to figures from Insurance2Go.

Many of these vishing scams involve phone calls from scammers claiming to be from the Department of Work and Pensions, with AI allowing scammers to create deepfakes and clone voices. 

Scam texts, seen by This is Money, claim that DWP records indicate the recipient has not submitted an application for the winter heating allowance, or that information provided was incomplete or the application was rejected

What do fake winter fuel payment messages look like? 

Scam texts seen by This is Money, claim that DWP records indicate the recipient has not submitted an application for the winter heating allowance, or that information provided was incomplete or the application was rejected.

Most eligible people, such as those receiving the state pension or universal credit, will receive winter fuel payments automatically, and are not required to make an application.

A DWP spokesperson said: ‘We never send text messages or emails requesting your bank details for Winter Fuel Payment purposes.

‘If you have any doubt whether a text is genuine, forward it to 7726 and you will receive a reply confirming if it’s legitimate.’

Some people who do not receive DWP pensions or have not claimed winter fuel payments before may have to contact the DWP in order to receive their payment.

Bingle warns that people should avoid clicking links sent by unknown phone numbers or email addresses, and should not give away personal information to those contacting them.

She said: ‘We urge everyone to take care – don’t click on links in unexpected messages, and never share your bank details. 

‘If something feels off, take a moment to stop, challenge the message, and protect yourself.’

While winter fuel scams are the most recent form that scams are taking, the scale of the problem extends well beyond this. 

Some £11.4billion has been lost by victims in the UK alone to scams in the past year, while banks say they have prevented a further £1.45billion being lost.

These scammers often try to manipulate their victims into believing they need to make split second decisions, warning them that time is running out or they are going to miss a deadline.

Bingle added: ‘These scams are designed to create a sense of urgency, pushing people to act quickly without verifying the source. 

‘The goal is to steal personal or financial information, which can then be used for identity theft or fraud.’

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