Energy company warns of fake electricity bill scam flooding customers’ inboxes – and how to tell if yours are real or not
- An almost undetectable email scam is being sent to inboxes across Australia
- The email is a fake electricity bill posing as energy company EnergyAustralia
- It lures people into downloading a malicious file that can hijack or steal data
- The file can also encrypt or delete sensitive data and monitor computer activity
- People are encouraged to check thoroughly before clicking any links in emails
An energy company has warned of a dangerous electricity bill scam flooding customers’ emails.
The fake electricity bill is being sent to inboxes across Australia, with the sender posing as energy company EnergyAustralia.
The body of the email advises the recipient to click on the ‘view bill’ link to see their latest electricity bill, which will lead to a malicious file download.
‘These emails are well-designed fakes and look very similar to actual EnergyAustralia notifications,’ email security service MailGuard said.
But there is one telltale sign that the email is not bona fide.
Energy company EnergyAustralia has warned of a dangerous electricity bill scam flooding customers’ emails across Australia (pictured)
Customers are urged to check if the email begins with ‘Dear Customer’ instead of addressing the customer directly, according to 9 News.
This appears to be the only tell-tale sign that the email is a scam, given that all other details in the fraudulent email appears to be authentic.
‘They utilise high quality graphical elements such as the usage of the company’s signature green branding and logo,’ MailGuard said.
While some fraudulent emails may have grammatical and spelling errors, the EnergyAustralia forgery does not feature these mistakes.
People are urged to double-check any emails they might receive from EnergyAustralia before clicking any links.
If unsure, the public is also advised to call the company in order to verify an email.
Any scams detected should be immediately reported to the organisation and Scamwatch.
The body of the email advises the recipient to click on the ‘view bill’ link to see their latest electricity bill, which will lead to a malicious file download (stock image)