Brighton and Hove City Council is urging people to be on the alert for energy scams.
This comes amid a significant rise in reports of such scams nationally.
Trading standards officers are warning of various types of scams, from fraudulent energy rebate text messages, to doorstep sellers and loan sharks.
They stress that the £400 Energy Bill Discount for households will be applied automatically and remind consumers that they do not need to do anything to claim the rebate.
“Ignore any messages about energy rebates and only deal directly with your energy company using their published phone numbers and email addresses,” they said.
Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty, said: “Sadly, scammers are preying on people who are already finding it hard to make ends meet.
“With talk in the news about energy payments and discounts, it’s all too easy to get taken in by an official looking text message or email. It is vital that people are on the alert for these scams, now more than ever.”
Trading standards recommend reporting scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
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