Officials are warning people to remain vigilant after they recieved more than 130 reports about scam text messages relating to the Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, recieved 139 crime reports relating to fake text messahes purporting to be from the UK government.
The texts state that the recipient is owed or eligible for an energy bill discount as part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme.
The links in the emails lead to genuine looking websites that are designed to steal financial and personal information.
A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: "Energy Bill Discount is £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from this October 2022.
"You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details."
If you have spotted a suspicious text message, forward it to onto 7726, it is free of charge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here