The Department of Social Protection is urging the public to stay alert to fraudulent text messages claiming to come from ‘GOV IE’ and promising eligibility for a reduced electricity bill, reports RTE.
Officials are concerned that individuals might mistake these scam efforts for genuine government aid programmes linked to those impacted by Storm Chandra, reports RTE.
One example of the scam text messages reviewed by RTÉ News reads: “You qualify for a reduced electricity bill through the Emergency Benefit Scheme.”
The message includes a bogus link intended for recipients to click, reports RTE.
The Department has verified that this message is fraudulent.
No such “Emergency Benefit Scheme” exists at present, although past energy credits provided to households to offset rising energy costs were delivered via the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme, reports RTE.
People are strongly advised against clicking on any such links and to seek details about supports only through official channels like gov.ie, reports RTE.
Earlier this week, the Department of Social Protection confirmed that the Emergency Response Payment (previously known as the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme) is now accessible to assist those whose properties were directly hit by Storm Chandra amid the recent severe weather, reports RTE.
The Emergency Response Payment delivers means-tested financial help to individuals whose homes have suffered damage from flooding or extreme weather and who cannot cover urgent expenses for essential needs, household goods, and structural repairs, reports RTE.
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