THE DEPARTMENT OF Communications has told The Journal that it is aware of a number of scams that “opportunistically refer to the Electricity Credits and other Government supports”.

An example of one such scam is a text message which claims to be from a Government Department and reads: “”GOV IE: You are eligible for a discounted electricity bill under the Energy support scheme. You can apply here.”

A link is then provided to a fraudulent website which mimics that of the Government.

Speaking to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications noted that the Department has a page on gov.ie highlighting advice for the public.

This page includes current guidance and warnings and also provides advice on what to do if you get a strange text or email.

Image of the discounted electricity bill scam

In relation to the above scam, the spokesperson said: “There is no such scheme being offered by the government and people are warned not to click on the link or enter any personal details.

In general, people should be careful of texts or emails that ask for personal details or ask you to click a link.

People should always check the URL or address of the site and links from government will always have gov.ie as part of the address.

You should also take a screenshot of any suspicious email or text message so that you have a record of it and contact your local Garda station if you believe you are a victim of a cyber-crime.

Meanwhile, you should not click on any suspicious links in emails or text messages, not should you respond to suspicious messages that direct you to send money or change your bank details.