Albertans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of $150 in utility rebates since the Province announced the move in April.
Some residents thought they got lucky this week, when they received a text message indicating it was time to sign up to get some of their hard-earned cash back.
That wasn't exactly the case.
In a press release distributed June 15, the Province said it has received reports of Albertans receiving texts falsely claiming to be from the provincial government. The scam encourages recipients to apply for their rebate by clicking a link that appears to be from a government agency.
Neither government — provincial or federal — has sent emails or texts to Albertans about the electricity rebate program or any other energy rebates according to the release.
The Province advises Albertans not to click on links or provide personal or banking information in response to text messages or emails that you didn’t ask for, or if you don’t know the sender.
When it finally does happen, the rebates will be applied to bills directly, so there is no need to apply.
At some point, more than 1.9 million people are expected to receive bill credits of $50 in three installments to help offset high costs from earlier this year, the Province said.
Residential, farm and small business customers who use less than 250 megawatt hours per year are eligible for the rebate.
If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud or suspected fraud, report it to the police or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
