Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams‑King has issued a stark warning to Winchester and the wider county as criminals increasingly impersonate government agencies to exploit Winter Fuel Payments.

How scams target residents

Winter Fuel Payments – typically between £100 and £300, depending on age – are paid automatically to eligible pensioners, but scammers are preying on confusion by sending phishing texts and emails.

According to Hampshire Alerts, residents have reported messages claiming they need to “confirm” or “update” their details in order to receive payment.

Councillor Adams‑King said: “The government will never ask for your bank details by text, email or phone.”

Scams on the rise

• Official data from the Department for Work & Pensions shows a 153% increase in scam referrals in late September 2025 compared to the previous week.
• According to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s fraud safeguarding team, “a very high number of reports” are coming in locally of people claiming to have handed over personal or financial information.
• Through its Hampshire Alerts service (which many Winchester residents are signed up to), the county’s Trading Standards warns: “We are still receiving a very high number of reports of people saying they’ve been contacted by phone/text/email …
• “They say they need to give personal/financial information to get their Winter Fuel Payment.”

Other scams in the Winchester area

Winter Fuel scams are not the only threat.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary recently reported a series of courier fraud attempts in Winchester.

In these cases, fraudsters called older residents, pretended to be police officers, and asked victims to withdraw money so “couriers” could collect it later.

Police say such calls often target elderly people and warn: genuine officers and banks will never ask you to withdraw cash and hand it over.

Who is being targeted – and why?

• Older residents and pensioners appear to be most at risk.
• Given that Winter Fuel Payments often go to people of state pension age, scammers alike are tailoring their scams to that demographic.
• Many of the fraudulent messages are designed to look like they come from government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions.
• This makes them compelling to people who might not be confident navigating technology.
• According to Hampshire Alerts, once someone has responded to a scam message, they may be repeatedly targeted for additional fraud.

What residents in Winchester should do

1. Do not click links or share bank or personal details if you receive a message about Winter Fuel Payments.
2. Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 – a free UK number used to report scam texts.
3. Report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk or via Action Fraud.
4. Speak to elderly friends or relatives; these scams often target the most vulnerable.
5. Be cautious of any cold calls or texts that create a sense of urgency or demand financial or personal information.