A new council tax rebate scam has been flagged as Brits are warned to be mindful.
Fraudsters are calling Brits to ask them for their bank account details in order to receive the Government’s £150 rebate.
Now the website owned by Martin Lewis has seen a number of reports from councils urging residents to watch out.
MoneySavingExpert reports there are multiple ways to distinguish whether a call is a fake or not.
First of all, the council tax rebate is being paid to households between now and September.
In most cases it will be paid automatically to those who pay their council tax by direct debit.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
But if you don’t pay it through direct debit, you might be asked to provide your bank account details.
Also councils will never call to ask for your bank details, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
It also warned that criminals are trying to take “advantage of the financial worries people are facing”.
Councillor Mohan Iyengar said people should report scam text messages to their phone operating by forwarding it to 7726.
In unfortunate cases where you’re a victim of fraud, there are many things you can do to act fast.
Firstly if you’ve responded to the scam, end all further communication immediately.
Make sure you call your bank directly and cancel any recurring payments that you have coming up.
Most Brits can call a new 159 hotline to report if they’ve been scammed.
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Alternatively, you can report it to the police through Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or on the Action Fraud website.
If you’re in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website.
You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
Those who require further help can contact Citizens Advice Scams Action or its Scams helpline on 0808 250 5050.
