The warning comes with the rollout of the first vouchers from Monday, January 16.
Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock said: “People who pay their bills quarterly or use pre-payment meters will receive these vouchers in the post, along with an accompanying letter.
“If this applies to you but you receive an email, a text message or a phone call about the vouchers, purporting to be from Post Office NI, it’s a scam. Please do not let yourself be caught out.”
Chief Superintendent Pollock is urging people to make themselves aware of what to do if they’re targeted in a scam.
“We know scammers have targeted the £400 energy rebate scheme in England, Wales and Scotland so I would expect criminals to be trying to exploit our Northern Ireland scheme.
“This may look like text messages similar to those received for that scam tailored for Northern Ireland and I want everyone to remember these texts are scams and delete them” said Chief Superintendent Pollock.
‘Five rules to stop a scam’
“The easiest way to stop a scam is to apply these five rules,” advises Chief Superintendent Pollock.
“If you receive a call out of the blue or believe it to be suspicious, hang up the call immediately and never call the number back; always delete texts requesting personal information or bank account details; never click on links in text messages, or respond to unsolicited texts; never ever transfer money at the request of someone you do not know.
“We’d also encourage families to discuss this advice with relatives who may be vulnerable. Having a conversation and raising awareness about how to stop the scammers could make all the difference.”
If you’ve been targeted by a scammer and have lost money, call police on 101 to report it, or online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ and report it to your bank immediately.
You can also make a report to Action Fraud online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Information and advice is also available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni
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