Good article in the Guardian last week
www.theguardian.com
"If a device really could cut energy bills by hundreds of pounds, it would be sold by major retailers and recommended by trusted consumer groups. The fact that it's being flogged on social media or through cold calls is the red flag," says Blagbrough.
...
"Some victims hand over hundreds for a gadget that never arrives. Others get a cheap, unsafe electrical item that can overheat or cause fires. In the worst cases, criminals use the purchase process to harvest card details for further fraud."
The plug-in devices are sold for less than £10 and often claim they will save you money by managing the electricity supply efficiently, therefore reducing your electricity bill.
...
Often, the sale is simply a scam and people will receive nothing after the payment goes through. Or the payment details may be used by the criminals selling them for other crimes.
If the plastic devices do arrive, they often have poor-quality soldering, contain too much lead, and are potentially unsafe. A Which? investigation of some devices found the pins were often too short or snapped off easily.
Cut your energy bills by a third? No, these ‘energy-saving plugs’ will cause nothing but hassle
The plastic ‘eco-plugs sold via social media or cold calls either never arrive or have no benefits when they do. And they can be dangerous
Cut your energy bills by a third? No, these 'energy-saving plugs' will cause nothing but hassle
The plastic 'eco-plugs sold via social media or cold calls either never arrive or have no benefits when they do. And they can be dangerous"If a device really could cut energy bills by hundreds of pounds, it would be sold by major retailers and recommended by trusted consumer groups. The fact that it's being flogged on social media or through cold calls is the red flag," says Blagbrough.
...
"Some victims hand over hundreds for a gadget that never arrives. Others get a cheap, unsafe electrical item that can overheat or cause fires. In the worst cases, criminals use the purchase process to harvest card details for further fraud."
The plug-in devices are sold for less than £10 and often claim they will save you money by managing the electricity supply efficiently, therefore reducing your electricity bill.
...
What the scam looks like:
The devices are often labelled as "eco-plus" or "energy saving plugs" and are advertised and sold through social media or via cold calls. There may be fake endorsements attached to the adverts.Often, the sale is simply a scam and people will receive nothing after the payment goes through. Or the payment details may be used by the criminals selling them for other crimes.
If the plastic devices do arrive, they often have poor-quality soldering, contain too much lead, and are potentially unsafe. A Which? investigation of some devices found the pins were often too short or snapped off easily.
