Fake British Gas cold calls reported, with callers knowing recipients' personal details

Which? has reported that scammers are impersonating British Gas through cold calls, according to reports it received and published on 31 March 2026¹. Some recipients said the caller knew information about them, including their email address and postcode¹.

The reports describe several approaches. In one, a cold caller claiming to be from British Gas asked for personal information, including a sort code, to check whether the recipient was covered for boiler breakdown and repairs¹. In others, callers asked for billing details and meter information and said there was a problem with the recipient's upcoming bill¹. Which? said all appear to be an attempt to get bank details¹. It also reported cold calls from an "energy savings adviser", which it said is also likely to be a scam¹.

Which? also reported text messages impersonating the Department for Work and Pensions. One version says the winter allowance offers a one-off payment of £200 to £300; another mentions an "application for the fuel subsidy" resulting in a "one-time" payment of £300¹. The messages contain a link to claim that leads to a copycat government website which steals personal and financial information¹. The Department for Work and Pensions issued a warning to pensioners about Winter Fuel Payment scam texts last October¹. Most people eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment will receive it automatically in November or December 2026¹.

A separate advert on Facebook and Instagram appears to be a deepfake video of a person promoting a plug-in energy-saving device¹. At the time of writing it had reached roughly 155,260 accounts and included a phishing link to buy the £34.95 device¹. The website claims the device must be plugged in 24/7 and leads to up to 90% savings on electricity bills without changing usage habits¹. Which? said these devices do not work and could be dangerous¹.

Why it matters for households

The calls and texts target people's bank and personal details directly. A sort code, billing details or meter information can be used to attempt payments or to make a later approach seem genuine, and the callers in these reports already held some details about the people they rang¹. The fake DWP texts point to a copycat government site built to collect personal and financial information¹. The device advert takes payment of £34.95 through a phishing link, and Which? said the devices do not work and could be dangerous¹.

Which? said people who believe a call could be genuine should end it and contact their energy supplier using a trusted contact number taken from a recent bill¹. It said government services should be accessed only on the Gov.uk website, and that links from text messages should not be followed¹. Anyone who has lost money or spots an unauthorised transaction should contact their bank immediately using the phone number on the back of their card¹.

What happens next

Scam calls can be reported on an iPhone by texting the word "call" followed by the phone number to 7726; on Android, texting "call" to 7726 prompts a message asking for the scam number¹. Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726 to report them to a phone operator¹. On WhatsApp, the chat with the number can be blocked and the contact reported¹. Scam websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre, and suspicious Facebook and Instagram ads reported through the platform¹. Scams can also be reported to Report Fraud, or by calling police on 101 in Scotland¹.

More on phishing, vishing and smishing, clone firms and British Gas.