THE Forest of Dean District Council has urged residents to be cautious, as an energy bill support scam circulates.

The scam tactic follows the UK Government’s latest announcement on support with energy bills. According to reports, people have received texts or emails with links included about how to claim a support payment.

A £100 payment to help with energy bills for households in Council Tax Bands A to D, is expected to be paid from January. However, the government has not yet finalised its guidance for the plans with local councils.

A Forest of Dean District Council spokesperson said: “We’re still awaiting detailed guidance on how the scheme will operate and applications are not currently open. We’ll share further information on our website as soon as details are available.

“Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts, or phone calls asking you to apply, share personal information, or provide bank details to receive the payment. These could be scams. Don’t click links or share personal information in response to unsolicited messages.

“If you’re unsure whether a message is genuine, contact us directly using the details on our website.”

The advice from the council comes following our report last month, that explained Action Fraud’s concerns about an increasingly-used Amazon scam.

The scam saw criminals impersonating Amazon representatives and calling residents out of the blue, claiming suspicious activity had occurred on their account.

The rising scam saw the fraudsters steal nearly £90,000 from UK residents in only nine days.

Other similar scams with those claiming to be from Amazon involve criminals asking for personal information such as bank account details or passport photographs, in a bid to gain access to victim accounts.

Residents are advised to be suspicious over any unsolicited calls. Do not give any personal or financial details out over the phone.

If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, contact Action Fraud via its website, and inform your bank by calling the number on the bank of your debit card.