Crooks have been sending out fake 'Winter Heating Subsidy Reminders' in a bid to capitalise on all the media coverage of Winter Fuel Payments being means-tested. Here's how to spot the scam and stay safe.
Scammers have been sending out fake invites to sign up for the Winter Fuel Payment in a bid to trick people out of money.
Winter Fuel Payments, which offer help worth up to £300 to cover energy costs over the high usage months, have been a huge talking point in recent weeks after the Government controversially announced they would be means-tested from now on rather than being available to all over 65s.
In a bid to capitalise on all the publicity – and the surge in people checking whether they'll be eligible – scammers have been sending out fake texts and emails purportedly inviting people to apply for the benefit.
The exact text these crooks use might vary from one message to another, but this is what was stated in one of the scams seen by a loveMONEY writer:
"Winter Heating Subsidy Reminder: Winter is coming and we will continue to issue winter heating subsidies to help you survive this cold winter.
"Since you are eligible to apply, please update your information in the link after reading the information."
Once you select the link, you are taken to a realistic-looking copy of the Government's website (you can view a larger screengrab of it by clicking or tapping on the image lower down in this article).
This explains how the Winter Fuel Payment works and invites you to apply. As part of this process, you're asked to share "your debit or credit card data".
This is supposedly for the purpose of "receiving payments", but will of course be used to drain the funds from your account.
How to tell if the Winter Fuel Payment message is fake
This is one of the more convincing scams we've come across recently, as the fake website they've set up is a decent clone of the actual Government website (again, click/tap on the image below to see a larger screengrab).
Given the number of people who'll be keen to check their eligibility for the vital benefit in response to the Government's means-testing it, there could be quite a few people falling victim to this scam.
Here's how to tell it's fake.
1. The url isn't for the official Government site
The first clue is in the url of the fake site.
While the official Government page is https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment, the scammers have used https://gov.winterpaymentdu.top.
As we mentioned earlier, the scammers might use different variations of this scam so the url might differ.
The key point is it doesn't match the official site. If you're really unsure, look up the Government's Winter Fuel Payment page by opening a separate tab in your browser.
2. Most eligible people don't need to apply
The fake website claims you need to apply for the benefit if you're eligible.
But, as the Government points out, most eligible recipients will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
They will generally get a letter in the post between October and November stating how much they'll receive.
If you think you're eligible but haven't heard anything, check this Government page to find out more.
3. The Government won't ask for your banking details in this way
As a general rule, you should treat any unsolicited emails or texts asking for your bank details with suspicion.
The fact that the fake website says you can provide credit card details in addition to debit cards is a clear indication it's a fake as it would make no sense getting a benefit paid in this way.