report and support
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Please Beware
Fraudsters have been phoning victims telling them that they have been placed
in the wrong council tax bracket for a number of years and are entitled to a rebate.
They normally say that this rebate should be worth about £7,000. Once the victim
is convinced, the fraudster tells them that in order to receive the rebate they
will need to pay an administration fee in advance. The payment they ask for varies
between £60–£350. The victim provides the details and makes the payment, but then
is no longer able to make contact with the person they spoke to on the phone. When
they phone their council about the rebate and the fact that they are in the wrong
tax bracket, the council will confirm that they know nothing about it and that
they have been contacted by fraudsters.
The fraudsters have mainly been targeting both male and female victims who are
aged 60 and over and live in England, but it is likely that the fraudsters
will also start to target victims in other areas.
What can you do to prevent it happening to you?
- Never respond to unsolicited phone calls.
- Your local council won’t ever phone out-of-the-blue to discuss a council tax
rebate. If you receive a call of this nature, put the phone down straight away.
- No legitimate organisation will ask you to pay an advanced fee in order to
receive money, so never give them your card details.
- If you think you have been a victim of fraud, hang up the phone and wait five
minutes to clear the line as fraudsters sometimes keep the line open. Then call
your bank or card issuer to report the fraud. Where it is possible use a different
phone line to make the phone call.
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online at the
Action Fraud website.
or phone:0300 123 2040
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