Business energy scams – be alert!

Fraud in the UK reached record levels during the pandemic, with an increase of 33% in 2021 according to Which? Unfortunately, business energy scams are also on the rise.

While we take all attempted fraud very seriously and implement all possible measures to identify and stop it, it’s important to be aware of several types of attempted scams that our customers have reported, alongside prevention tips - and what to do if you believe you have been targeted.

Faulty smart meter or installation refund

Here, customers are contacted by someone claiming to be from their energy supplier, stating either that their meter is faulty and they need to pay a fee to get it repaired / replaced, or that they are owed a refund following the installation of a new meter.

Both approaches are an attempt to gain bank details and other personal information.

Please note that neither TotalEnergies Gas & Power or our metering partners will ever ask for payment for a smart meter exchange or installation. If you have concerns about any communication you may have received about your meter, please check with us at Smart.uk@totalenergies.com.
 

Attempts to transfer energy to another supplier

Usually received via email, but sometimes from an unsolicited call, the scammer states that the customer’s business energy will be moving to another supplier, again attempting to get copies of energy bills and/or bank statements. Some of these scams falsely claim that the new supplier is a part of TotalEnergies.

Please see our advice below if you believe you have been targeted.

Fake job offers

We have been made aware of a number of cases where organisations or individuals have claimed to be recruiting on behalf of TotalEnergies, asking for upfront payment for costs (such as visa fees) or for personal or financial information.

Neither TotalEnergies or any company working with us will ever request payment or ask for financial information during the recruitment and selection process.

Read more here

Scam prevention tips

• Never disclose personal or financial information to an unknown party.
  
  
• Do not make any payments (unless you are calling us to pay a bill).
  
  
• Do not respond to unsolicited or suspicious job offers.
  
  
• Check the email address - all our emails come from ‘@totalenergies.com’
  
  
• If you have any doubt about any communication claiming to be from TotalEnergies Gas & Power, please contact the relevant department via our website.
  
  
• If you believe you have been scammed, please let our customer service team know, and report to Action Fraud.