Fake Utility Rebate Scams via Phone Calls
How scammers pose as utility companies or government agencies over the phone to collect banking details under the cover of processing a refund or rebate.
Part of: Fake Utility Rebate Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Energy bill rebates and government utility support schemes are periodically offered to consumers — for example, cost-of-living energy payment programmes — creating a plausible backdrop for scammers impersonating utility companies or government bodies over the phone. A call arrives saying the customer is entitled to a rebate or overpayment refund, and banking details are required to process the transfer.
The caller may know the customer's name, address, and supplier name from a data breach or from public records, lending the call an apparent legitimacy that lowers defences. Once banking details are provided, funds are drained rather than deposited.
How this scam works on phone calls
A caller claims to be from the recipient's energy supplier or a government energy department, stating that a refund or rebate is owed. The caller may correctly identify the supplier's name and some account details. To process the refund, the customer is asked to confirm their sort code, account number, and sometimes their online banking password or one-time passcode.
Once banking credentials are provided, the caller transfers funds out of the account rather than in. The use of one-time passcodes to 'verify the refund' is a classic technique to authorise outgoing rather than incoming transfers.
Common red flags
- Caller claims a refund or rebate is available without you having filed a complaint or excess payment
- Banking account number and sort code are requested over the phone to 'process the transfer'
- Caller asks for your online banking password or a one-time SMS passcode
- You cannot verify the rebate scheme by searching the supplier's official website
- Caller creates urgency suggesting the rebate will lapse if not processed today
How to protect yourself
- Legitimate refunds do not require your bank account details over the phone — your supplier already has them on file
- Never provide online banking passwords or one-time codes to any caller
- Hang up and call your supplier on the number on your bill to verify any claimed rebate
- Be especially cautious during periods of widely reported government energy payment schemes
- Check your online banking immediately after any suspicious call
How to report it
- Report to Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC (US) at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Contact your bank immediately if account details or passcodes were provided
- Report to your energy supplier's fraud team so they can warn other customers
Frequently asked questions
Why would my supplier need my bank details to process a refund?
They would not. Energy suppliers hold your bank account details from the original direct debit setup. A caller claiming they need your account details to process a refund is a clear sign of fraud.