Urgent council tax warning which you need to note as scammers try to get your bank details
MULTIPLE councils across the UK have urged Britons to be wary of handing out their details as scammers target those eligible for the £150 council tax rebate.
GB News: Eamonn Holmes rages at council tax rises
The rebate scheme announced in February is due to begin this month, with direct debit taxpayers receiving their £150 automatically. However, scammers are believed to be targeting those using other payment methods and people who are unsure of how to receive the rebate.
Wakefield Council noted on Twitter that they are aware of scam calls being made to residents “asking for bank details”.
They urged their residents: “Please DO NOT give out your bank details over the telephone.”
Southwark Council also took to social media to warn their residents, noting: “The council will not call you to ask for these details - we will start contacting residents by letter or email later this month.”
Durham County Council shared a similar warning saying: “Please don’t give your bank details to anyone who calls you about the national council tax rebate scheme.
“We’re aware of a scam but we will not ask for your details as part of this process.”
READ MORE: ‘We’re hungry all the time’ Single mum pleads for help as Universal Credit falls short
As disturbing as these scams are, fraudsters have been known to target schemes like this.
The council tax rebate scheme provided the fraudsters plenty of warning of when would be the best time to enact these scams.
Additionally, as millions of homes are expected to benefit from the scheme, it gives scammers a wider pool of victims to choose from.
Scammers usually contact their victims through emails, text or phone calls, but they have also been known to extend into writing letters to seem more legitimate.
Phone call scams, also known as vishing, have been particularly popular in relation to the rebate scheme.
As the Southwark Council noted, Britons awaiting the rebate will likely hear from their council in writing, through email or post, and not over the phone.
Britons using direct debit to pay their council tax should not need to provide any details in any form as the rebate will be automatically sent to their accounts.
There has also been warning issued for fake websites and advertising claiming to help Britons get the rebate quicker, which is outrightly fraudulent.
To be eligible for the £150 rebate, households must be in council tax bands A to D although it is not just them that are being targeted.
Households in other council tax bands that do not qualify for the rebate could qualify for assistance from the discretionary fund given to local councils to assist those in need.
These households are expected to receive letters stating they need to complete an online application, uploading some information such as their bank statements, council tax or utility bills.
This is a genuine process for households to access assistance if they do not qualify for the rebate but there is concern that scammers may be able to get hold of this information or replicate the letters.
Some scams are reportedly telling Britons that they need to make a payment in advance to get the rebate or pay it back.
Making an advance payment is a tell-tale sign of a scam, and the rebate is a one-off payment that does not need to be paid back.
The £150 rebate will not need to be repaid, while the £200 energy discount will be paid back over the next five years through annual £40 payments.
The package was created to help Britons as levels of disposable income are expected to drop lower than during the financial crisis of 2008.