Scammers have sent messages that claim to pay a ‘living allowance’ for those who will miss out on a Winter Fuel Payment this winter.
The text tells recipients that they need to apply by the end of today (17 October) to receive the fake ‘payment’.
One version of the text that has been circulating the UK this week reads: “UK Home Office reminder. We have decided to start paying living allowances to replace the winter heading subsidies that were canceled [sic] this year.
“Applications are now open to eligible people and the application channel will be closed on October 17 2024.
“If you received the information, you are eligible to apply, please update your information in the link and we will issue the living allowance as soon as possible thank you for your support to the UK home office.”
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The message then leaves a link to select that begins the application process. This is known as an authorised push payment (APP) scam, which involves victims being tricked into paying money to a supposed trusted company or organisation.
Pensioners have been targeted following the Government’s decision to make the £200 cash boost means-tested for the first time since 1997.
In 2023, victims in the UK of APP scams lost £459.7m, according to UK Finance’s Annual Fraud Report.
Pensioners in Lancashire targeted
Fraudsters have sent the Winter Fuel Payment con messages to pensioners in Lancashire, according to the BBC, leading to the local council issuing a warning to those who receive the message.
The Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesperson said: “The Government, or the council, do not send out text messages asking people to click on links to make a claim for anything.
“Links can contain something called malware that could infect your phone or device and lead to scammers doing further damage.”
If you have made a payment or accidentally clicked this link or a similar link, the council has urged that you contact your bank directly.
New scam rules introduced by the Payment Systems Regulator mean banks have to refund victims of APP fraud within five days if they have made a payment to a scammer. However, this is limited to £85,000 after initially being planned to cover £415,000 worth of losses.
This reduction was slammed by consumer champions, who said the amount available to victims had been “watered down”.
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, said: “Criminals are quick to jump on any seasonal opportunity to exploit individuals, and the Winter Fuel Payment is no exception. If you receive a message, do not click on any links and do not share any personal details with the sender.
“If you are unsure, contact the sender via a website you know to be correct. Alternatively, our new Ask Silver tool enables you to check if any email, text or message is a scam or not. Visit getsafeonline.org/asksilver/ to learn more.”
