Dorset Citizen's Advice are warning of scams claiming to offer support with the cost of living
They say they expect resident to see more of these scams as we head into Winter
People across Dorset are being warned to watch out for scam texts claiming to offer support for the cost of living- as our local Citizen's Advice say more residents will receive these messages this Winter.
This comes as their research revealed that 76% of people in the South West have already been targeted by a scammer this year.
Our reporter Frankie Golding spoke to Ros Dignan from East Dorset Citizen's Advice about the scam text she received.
Our reporter Frankie asked Ros: " I got a scam message telling me that I would be eligible for energy support if I clicked this link, is this scam common?"
Ros Dignan from East Dorset Citizen's Advice replied: "Yes actually. We've actually had one of our advisors in the office had this scam come through - they ended up clicking on the link as well.
"I think it just caught her off guard initially.
"The link is so good - all that was missing was a dot in the web link she received. It looked like a very genuine link and a very genuine website you got to when you click the link.
"I think some of them, they are so sophisticated that it has become very difficult to distinguish.
"We're just advising people when they receive a text like this to stop, thinking about it and think whether this would be something you would expect to see from this company.
"The HMRC rarely contact people by text, they like to go the old-fashioned way with a letter."
If you are unsure whether a text or email you have received may be a scam, Citizens Advice Dorset say you can contact their Scam Action team on 0808 250 5050 or come into their branch for advice.