Oxford, UK – November 19th 2025: Through its work in keeping the .UK namespace safe from criminal activity, Nominet – guardians of the .UK domain – has spotted an increase in websites trying to scam vulnerable people who could be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment.
Nominet has operated the .UK registry since 1996, managing over 10m .UK domain names and working with 14 law enforcement agencies and the 2000+ registrars – organisations that manage domain name registrations and sells domain names – to ensure abuse is tackled on the .UK namespace.
Since August this year, Nominet has suspended around 100 domains that were registered to take advantage of those seeking the Winter Fuel Payment. Scammers hoped to use the fake websites in phishing attempts to extract personal information from those who might be eligible for the payment. Those over 66 and on low income may qualify for government support to pay their heating bills during the winter, but almost all of those eligible typically receive this Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
As key terms used in the domains were clearly misleading, Nominet was able to identify these domains at the point of registration using its proprietary machine learning tool, Domain Watch. These were then reviewed and suspended by Nominet’s analysts as abusive registrations. It also worked in partnership with its registrars to suspend reported and verified scams of this type that were already active and trying to exploit vulnerable people.
Often, these scammers try to trick people by using deceptive techniques in their domain name. One common method they use is called combosquatting. This is when they attempt to mix a legitimate brand, event, or recognisable phrase with additional terms. By making it seem familiar to the user, it comes across as trustworthy – and because there’s no obvious typo, it can be easier to fall for.
Examples of suspended domains include:
- winter-subsidy-gov[.]uk
- apply-subsidy-gov[.]uk
- fuel-subsidy-gov[.]uk
- winter-apply-gov[.]uk
- subsidies-payment-gov[.]uk
Typosquatting is another tactic, where criminals pretend to be a trusted brand. They include subtle misspellings or other typographical errors that trick your brain into not realising it isn’t genuine. The goal of this is to take advantage of the relationship and trust you have in that brand. Unless you’re very diligent, you could mistake it for the real website.
“Through our work, we’ve noticed scams like these are becoming more common and sophisticated – everyone must remain vigilant,” said Paul Fletcher, CEO of Nominet. “Make sure any emails are coming from a known source and that the message itself looks legitimate and reads like a professional email. Messages like this would never include requests for money or personal information.
“Always check the web address for anything that might not look right – a hyphen in a different place, or a typo they have tried to conceal. If you’re ever in doubt about a message you’ve received – open a new browser window and find the details to contact the organisation directly yourself.”
Reporting this scam
The UK Government advises to report anything you think is suspicious. If you get a message asking for your personal details (for example, bank details or passwords) this could be a scam.
If you suspect any malicious activity on a .UK, .CYMRU, or .WALES, it can also be reported directly to Nominet through this form. Any additional evidence, context and classification that can be provided with such reports will help speed up the process of investigation.
About nominet
Nominet is the guardian of the UK’s national domain name registry, driven by a commitment to be a force for good in the nation’s digital economy and the global internet community. Since 1996, Nominet has operated at the heart of the internet, protecting and connecting over 10 million domains within the .UK namespace, and underpinning critical internet infrastructure that government services rely on. Through our work and the projects we fund, we aim to create positive societal impact; transforming lives by shaping a safer, more interconnected and inclusive world.
Find out more at nominet.uk