Staying Safe This Winter: Spotting and Avoiding Scam Texts

As winter approaches, many families begin thinking about heating, energy bills and winter fuel payments. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year when cscammers take advantage of people’s worries by sending out fake text messages, emails and phone calls designed to trick people into giving away money or personal details.

At Homelium Care, we want to help protect older people and their families from these scams. One of the most common tricks involves scam text messages claiming to be from the Government, HMRC, or energy companies, offering things like “winter fuel tax refunds” or urgent warnings about unpaid bills. These messages can look convincing, but they are designed to steal your bank details.

Here are some important things to remember:

• The Government will never ask for your bank details by text message or email for winter fuel or cost-of-living payments.

• Don’t click on links in unexpected texts or emails, even if they look genuine.

• Check with a trusted family member before responding to anything you’re unsure about.

• If in doubt, contact your energy supplier or the official Government website directly.

We encourage families to speak with their loved ones about these scams text and remind them that it’s always better to double-check than to take a risk.

At Homelium Care, keeping people safe and supported is at the heart of what we do. By raising awareness, we can help make sure that no one in our community falls victim to these cruel tricks this winter.

If you feel your loved one may benefit from extra support at home, please feel free to call our care team for more information on 0333 3448 677 or fill out a contact form and get a call back https://www.homelium.com/contact