New Insights into Gas Company Phone Scams: Analyzing their Deceptive Tactics
tellows Insights Report
Richard Grant - Expert in Telecommunications and User Protection
Richard is responsible for tellows' Consumer Protection department and is responsible for investigating all matters relating to telephone fraud, with a particular focus on developments in the telecommunications sector. Last updated: Jan 11, 2024
Richard is responsible for tellows' Consumer Protection department and is responsible for investigating all matters relating to telephone fraud, with a particular focus on developments in the telecommunications sector. Last updated: Jan 11, 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of phone scams, gas company fraud has emerged as a significant threat, preying on unsuspecting consumers with increasingly sophisticated tactics. As we delve into this growing concern, tellows Insights, a beacon of caller information, unveils the signs, statistics, and protective measures against these scams.
As can be seen, the UK's energy mix comprises Gas (38.5%), Wind (26.8%), and Nuclear (15.5%), as per the analysis by the Electricity System Operator (ESO). Which brings light to this study on how the Gas companies are the most affected by opportunistic scammers. Recent tellows data paints a concerning picture—out of all calls related to gas companies, only 17% were deemed positive, while a staggering 83% were flagged as negative. This surge in scam attempts calls for heightened awareness and protective measures.
- Official Gas company Phone Numbers (e.g. Installation services, customer service)
- Tactics used by scammers (e.g. Fake Gas companies)
- Empowering Consumers with solutions (e.g. caller ID app)
For contacting British Gas, a confirmed safe number is 03332008899. However, it's crucial to note that official communications from gas and power companies are primarily conducted through email. This facilitates the sharing of official documents and allows users to cross-reference information for legitimacy.
Official Gas Company numbers with positive ranking
The positively rated Gas Company numbers are usually assigned to Gas customer service or Gas emergencies.tellows users submitted to 7 different phone numbers a total of 20 ratings.
| PhoneNumber | Ratings | Caller | Example | Score | 03332008899 | 3 | British Gas Support Line | This is British Gas Boiler Breakdown department for problems like Cancel Service. They called me bac | 1 | 01482293811 | 3 | British Gas retention | I was contacted by someone named Majesty Onyegbu, claiming to be from the British Gas retention team | 5 | 02038301215 | 2 | British Gas | Automated survey following call to British Gas Customer Services. | 4 | 01245830075 | 1 | TM Hughes & Son | TM Hughes & Son Gas Services Ltd is a family-run award-winning plumbing and heating company based in | 2 | 01246820100 | 1 | A anti Gas | Legitimate call from Avanti | 2 | +390595966966 | 4 | EMMEDUE PC | Fornitore luce gas | 6 | 03332029787 | 6 | British Gas | Initially assumed this was a genuine call to book an installation appointment, as my smart meter doe | 6 |
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Key Signs of Energy Scams:
Understanding the hallmarks of energy scams is crucial. Be vigilant and watch out for:- Deals that seem too good to be true.
- Undue pressure to transfer money hastily.
- Unconventional payment requests.
- Suspicions of dealing with a fake company.
- Requests for sensitive information like passwords or PINs.
Scam or Fraud Calls Claiming to be from Gas companies:
tellows users submitted to 76 different phone numbers a total of 277 ratings.
| PhoneNumber | Ratings | Caller | Example | Score | 02080400499 | 24 | Gas and Energy (spoofing) | The caller claimed to represent British Gas, alleging a mix-up with our meter reading and pressing f | 8 | 01413679790 | 18 | Gas and Electricity scam | Left a voicemail. Transcription below: “You tell us a call today regarding the benefits of switch | 8 | 03332029470 | 72 | British Gas cold call | 7 | 01482293794 | 5 | British Gas (spoofed) | Claiming to be from British Gas, which is not true as they don’t call from these numbers. These are | 8 | 03334432975 | 7 | British Gas (spoofed) | Wanting to give me a better deal than my current company... not interested! | 8 |
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Spotting the Scam:
Vigilance is your best ally against energy scams. If a deal appears overly lucrative or you feel pressured to transfer money urgently, tread carefully. Be cautious with unusual payment requests, and never share personal information like passwords or PINs. If something feels off, it probably is.
Tellows User Case Study - John (West Cowes, UK): John's experience with a foreign caller (01905570960), claiming to be Alex from British Gas, serves as a cautionary tale. The caller alleged a mix-up on John's account, resulting in a £1800 overcharge. However, the details provided were related to John's business, not his private British Gas account, raising suspicions of a potential phishing exercise or scam.
Empowering Consumers with tellows:
In the battle against unknown calls, tellows.co.uk emerges as a robust ally. It provides a platform to evaluate unknown numbers, helping users decipher the nature of incoming calls. Furthermore, the tellows iOS and Android apps offer real-time identification of unknown calls—a crucial resource for swiftly blocking fraudulent numbers in the dynamic landscape of gas company scams.tellows Insights for Journalists
The tellows Insights team has curated this extensive research by combining exclusive tellows data with the knowledge of our researchers. Each day, tellows evaluates a multitude of user ratings, allowing us to generate valuable statistics and discern emerging scam patterns associated with significant phone numbers. This approach empowers us to focus on active fraudsters and swiftly identify new suspicious phone numbers, enhancing our ability to detect scams and protect users effectively.Drawing from the extensive tellows database, our team is well-equipped to develop in-depth studies. Should you have any inquiries, please reach out to our team. You are welcome to utilize all the graphics and data in your editorial work, with proper source acknowledgment.
As of the latest update on Jan 11, 2024, we have assessed these phone numbers, assigning them tellows scores ranging from 1 (trustworthy) to 9 (dubious). This scoring system gauges the level of risk associated with each phone number, with higher scores indicating more dubious callers. In this report, we focus on numbers categorized under Gas, considering the count of reported phone numbers associated with this label by tellows users.