Nottinghamshire Police is urging residents not to be tricked by fraudulent texts claiming to offer energy bill support from the UK Government.

Like many forces across England and Wales, Nottinghamshire Police has seen an increase in the number of reports relating to scam text messages.

The texts tell the recipient that they are owed money or are eligible for an energy bill discount as part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme.

Recipients are then encouraged to click on a link in the text message for further details or to apply for the support.

These text messages are fake and people should not click the link, as it leads to a website designed to steal financial and personal information.

Mark Lonsdale, Cyber Protect & Prevent Officer at Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Energy Bill Discount is £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from this October 2022.

"You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

"If you get a text message or email claiming to be from organisations such as Ofgem or GOV.UK seeking bank info to process payments, you can be sure it's a scam."

Full details of the Government's Energy Bill Support Scheme can be found by clicking here.

Anyone who comes across this scam is asked to please report it to Action Fraud by forwarding the text to 7726 for free.