A British Gas scam email is hoodwinking customers out of their hard-earned cash by using their actual personal details.

The email, which has been in circulation throughout this year, informs customers that they have an overdue bill for a small amount of cash (normally £18.41).

It then says that if customers don't pay up they'll face steep fines up to £540, even threatening a home visit or disconnecting the gas supply.

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Part of what makes the scam so convincing is that it often uses your actual customer reference number and name. However, there's one detail which is usually off about the scam, and spotting it can help you avoid being ripped off.

The bill typically addresses you as 'Dear customer' or just by your first name.

However, British Gas always addresses you by your full name or surname in email correspondence.

The company will also never ask you to confirm, update, or provide personal info via email.

Rachel McCann of energy comparison site Selectra said: "At a time when many people have lost their jobs and are really struggling to make ends meet, this email has caused significant panic, especially among the more vulnerable customers."

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British Gas advises its customers that if they receive a suspicious email pretending to be from them, they should attach it to a new email and forward it onto [email protected].

This year British Gas has drastically raised its price cap along with other utilities companies.

This winter could see prices skyrocket even further as the energy regulator Ofgem is expected to further increase the cap to £3,420, intensifying the cost of living crisis for millions.

Meanwhile, Centrica, the owner of British Gas, has increased its profits by more than five-fold this year to £1.34 billion.

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