Fake EnergyAustralia ‘Bill Payment Status’ Scam Email
The original site is no longer online; links go to the Internet Archive copy.
What the fact-checkers found
Customers of energy company EnergyAustralia are being targeted in an email scam campaign designed to trick them into divulging personal and financial information.
The email, which has the subject “Bill Payment Status: UNPAID”, claims that there was a problem with the payment method the company has on file for you and your last bill was not paid.
The email instructs you to click a link to update your account information and avoid a late fee or service interruption.
However, EnergyAustralia did not send the email and the “unpaid bill” claim is just a criminal ruse designed to trick you into clicking the scam link.
If you do click, you will be taken to a fraudulent website that asks for your credit card numbers, contact details, and other personal information. This information can be collected by the criminals and used for credit card fraud and identity theft.
Energy Australia has published a notice on its website warning customers about the scam and explaining what to do if you receive one of the scam emails.
Fake energy bill emails like this one are also regularly used to trick people into downloading malware.
Be very cautious of any unsolicited or unexpected email from your energy company that instructs you to click a link or open an attached file to deal with an overdue bill or rectify a supposed account issue.
It is always safest to login to your account by entering the address into your browser’s address bar. Genuine messages from the company will usually be accessible once you have logged on to your account. If in doubt, contact the company directly for advice.
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