Meter fraud sweeps country as criminals pocket £7m

Crimestoppers offers a £10,000 reward for information

Electricity customers have paid over £7 million to criminal gangs who are targeting prepayment meter users in a nationwide fraud.

A reward of up to £10,000 is now being offered in partnership with Crimestoppers to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of these criminals.  Meanwhile, the national Top-up Safe campaign continues to warn people not to get involved with anyone offering illegal energy top-ups.

Data from the leading energy companies - British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, npower, Scottish Power and SSE - shows that the fraud, organised by criminal gangs, is continuing to hit customers across the country.  Particularly affected are London, Kent and the Midlands.

The campaign is urging prepayment meter customers not to get involved, as buying credit from one of these fraudsters is a criminal offence and in the end, it is the customer who loses out. They will end up paying for their electricity twice, once to the criminal and again to their energy company who can detect this crime. So far, more than 120,000 customers have been affected, but the number could increase further as there are over 3.5 million prepayment meter customers across Britain.

Energy companies never sell electricity top-ups on the doorstep.  Customers can only buy electricity top-ups only from official outlets including: PayPoint, Payzone or the Post Office.

Christine McGourty, Director of Energy UK which runs the campaign said: "Our national campaign, Top-up Safe, has reached thousands of prepayment customers since it was launched, but there is more work to be done.  The crime is still increasing in some areas and customers and are losing money as they fall victim to this crime.

"The people selling these illegal top-ups are criminals and although it might seem like an easy way to save money, not only will you be getting involved in a crime, you will end up having to pay twice.  The only people benefitting from this crime are the fraudsters, so make sure you buy top-ups from official outlets: PayPoint, Payzone or the Post Office."

Dave Courding, Director of Operations at Crimestoppers, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to warn the public about this crime and would urge anyone who is approached with an energy meter top-up at their doorstep not to get involved.  We are offering a reward of up to £10,000 to anyone who can supply us with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in this crime.

"I would urge anyone with information about criminals selling illegal top-ups to contact the charity, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via our online service at www.crimestoppers-uk.org."

Customers can contact their energy company, Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Further information is available from the Top-up Safe campaign press team. Please contact Ashley Hay-Campbell or Lauren Garner on 07917 066298 or 0207 632 4800, ashley@threepipe.co.uk or lauren.garner@threepipe.co.uk.  Representatives are available for interview. 
• You can download leaflets and posters warning the public against illegal top-ups. The fraud involves only electricity, not gas, prepayment meters.  There is evidence that the criminals involved are using cloned keys for these meters to top them up illegally.
• Energy companies are cooperating fully with the regulator Ofgem to provide information on this criminal activity, what the industry is doing to tackle it and the impact on consumers.