British Gas customers are on high alert after a dangerous new scam

British Gas is a prime target for cyber fraudsters looking to prey on its millions of customers.

Online scammers have been known to disguise themselves as the energy company through emails. Many will claim that accounts are out of date, bills are unpaid or money is owed.

While savvy houses catch these scams, hackers are always evolving and have now introduced a new technique to steal personal data from British Gas customers. The new threat, identified by Propel Tech software security expert Andrew Brown, compromises a catchy message telling people they can get a quote or receive a free engineer visit to inspect their boiler.

The email appears legitimate, featuring official-looking logos and fonts apparently sent by British Gas. “Don’t wait for a boiler crisis – upgrade now,” the message reveals.

Unfortunately, some people who are scammed may inadvertently hand over their details to these scammers, who proceed to siphon off funds through fake phone calls. Speaking about the scam, Brown warned: “Don’t be tempted to click on the link in the email offering to book a visit with a British Gas engineer as it will take you to a portal where you enter your details, not British Gas may send an engineer, but so the scammers can contact you over the phone and try to con you out of your bank details,” the Express reports.

Brown advises customers that if you receive this email, you can hover over the address to see its true origin. If it’s a scam, it won’t have come from a British Gas address.

British Gas also provides guidance on how to deal with suspicious emails purporting to be from them. “If you have any doubts about any email claiming to be from us, do not click on any links,” the company advises on its website.

Be wary if you get a message that starts with “Dear customer” or “Hello” followed by your email address instead of your name, experts say. British Gas warns: “If we email you about your account, we will include your customer reference number in the email. We will rarely ask you to update or confirm your personal information.”

They add: “Other than our welcome email, which will include your contract or agreement, we do not add attachments to our emails.”

The company has provided a list of the internal email addresses it uses. If you receive an email and it’s NOT from one of the following addresses, it’s probably a scam:

• @britishgas.co.uk

• @cd.britishgas.co.uk

• @q.britishgas.co.uk

• @mail.britishgas.co.uk

• @centrica.co.uk

• @britishgasevolve.co.uk