British Gas ransom email scam: how to stay safe
Here's why you shouldn't open your 'summer gas & electricity bill' from British Gas...
A new scam is targeting people via fake British Gas utility bills.
Criminals are sending out remarkably genuine looking emails purporting to contain a British Gas utility bill. However, the emails contain a virus that hijacks your computer.
Once the virus is on your computer it locks you out and then directs you to an online payment page. The criminals then demand a ransom before they will let you regain access to your computer.
The scam is believed to originate in Russia but is targeting hundreds of thousands of British families as well as businesses, schools and hospitals.
How to spot the scam
The emails have been described by experts as remarkably authentic. They are sent from an address containing British Gas in the name and the emails contain the correct company branding.
Entitled ‘Your summer gas & electricity bill” the email contains the figure you supposedly owe and a date for when it has to be paid. There is then a link to view the bill – this should not be clicked on. If you click the link you are taken to a website where you are told you can download a file containing your bill. This is the file that contains the virus.
British Gas has told customers that genuine emails are personalised to the customer and will contain their account number. If you are not sure if an email is genuine or not call British Gas (0800 048 0202) to check before you click any links within the email.
“Any customer who is concerned about a phishing email can forward it to phishing@centrica.com,” a spokesperson for British Gas stated.
The company has closed down one website linked to the ransom scam and is working to shut down the scam completely.
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