Energy Prices Increasing But So Are ENERGY SCAMS

As I was working yesterday for countless hours, finished what I needed doing however still had some more work to continue today even though Not presssing until now, today.

I closed my laptop in 'sleeping' mode as I cuddled in bed with Joe: the laptop was Not even charging hence it would Not be restarting, surely ... or would it? ... can you guess what is coming next? yeap! this morning, ready to continue my work from last night I realized that my laptop had restarted ... bummer! 'just' because of my antivirus.- 'just' because? Bless the antivirus! and in this case my free AVG one and these Great Notifications and Updated News.

I learnt my lesson with AVG! as it kept on asking me yesterday to restart my system, giving me the choice of setting up the time and date and for the first time! ... I kept on choosing the option: 'next lifetime' as I could Not forsee having to have to restart the pc, so much work and open windows I was working on and needed to continue working on today ... to no avail.

Well, I am going to make the most of my frustrating experience by writing an article in Respect of the information that AVG sent me about the latest scams and which is pure Gold and UpToDate information on what is happening in the Virus World.

AVG sent me information about the Increasing Energy scams as the cybercriminals are intentionally using the Increasing Energy Prices to scam people in every way they can. Please #Share as I would like this article & post to reach as many people as possible, as I didn't even know the extent of this abuse and scams.

AVG reports that cybercriminals will take advantage of any situation and the current global energy crisis is No exception. Energy bills in the UK have been rising sharply -it has been previously forecast they could reach ￡4,200 in 2023. Ofgen has asked energy suppliers to be clearer on potential customer fraud on their websites, however many are still slipping through the net.

Here are the energy scams that AVG are reporting to be seeing:

1.- Fake giveaways: these are being positioned as Government discounts or returning of over-payments.

2.- Fake shops: Often offering fabricated discounts on prices for things like Firewood and Insulation.

3.- Unpaid Bill Alerts: Aim to convince you that a bill has been left Unpaid and you Risk losing your Electric and Gas Supply.

How do these Energy Scams work?

The most prevalent scams in UK at the moment are via fake emails and texts claiming to offer discounts on energy bills. Since OFGEM announced the automatic ￡400 rebate, more than 15,000 reports have been made to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau about scam emails.

Text messages and emails which lead to a Fake Ofgem or Government Website are being used to Lure Victims into thinking they have to Register for their rebate.

AVG is reminding people that the ￡400 Energy Rebate offered by the UK Government is AUTOMATIC!

The discount will automatically be applied to your energy bills in Stages over the next few months. Any website, email or text message that asks you to register for this rebate is a SCAM!!

How can we Protect Ourselves?

The Cost Of Living Crisis means that scammers ar able to prey on the fear of others and it's important to know what to look for. Always think twice before sharing personal information and even if everything seems legit, what's the harm in double checking?

Remember These Key Points:

1.-If you have any doubts contact the organization or company directly.

2.- Don't use the contact details in the message, use the details from their official Website.

3.- Your Bank or Energy Supplier will Never ask you to supply personal information via email.

4.- Don't click on Links from Unknown Sources via email or text.

Hoping this has been Useful!

As we know, scammers will prey on any Scenario in order to get their hands on your money. A Global Energy Crisis is like a BirthDay for them! Remember to be Vigilant and that if an Offer seems too Good to be True, then it Probably is.

Stay Safe, both Online and Offline

~From AVG.

ALL CREDITS TO AVG & THE AVG TEAM! Hoping they find it all right for me to send this message to #MyLinkedInFamily as they have sent it to me.- as I am just about to finish this piece, I have just read that it is possible to Save this information as a PDF File and I lost it! and could not get it back however if I could recover it then I HopeFully Upload it here in LinkedIn,

Blessings to All and Please, Please Be Safe & Share this article to raise awareness and Educate <3

#LVitin