East Yorkshire residents have been warned to be cautious of fraudulent OfGem emails that are on the rise

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau is warning in particular against any emails pretending to be OfGem, the energy regulator for Great Britain.

The email provides a link, stating if you click you can claim a rebate payment as part of a government scheme. The link then sends you to malicious data stealing websites which can steal personal and financial information.

The subject header in all the fake emails is “Claim your bill rebate now” and the email will even have the OfGem colours and logos on to make the dupe as believable as possible.

Many recipients realised it was a scam email after it asks them to “apply for an energy bill rebate before 2020”, the date obviously being wrong is a big red flag.

If you are worried about a message being fake, contact the organisation directly, without using the numbers or addresses in the message - ensure you find their official website. Your bank or any other official source will not ask you to give your personal details via email.

If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to [email protected].

For more information about how to protect yourself online, visit http://ow.ly/6euH50L3h5J and http://ow.ly/OnoF50L3h5N. You can also find out more information at www.fraudwatch.org.uk

If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it online through http://ow.ly/HyiH50L3h5F or by telephone by calling 0300 123 2040.