Scam warning – Council Tax Energy Rebate

Warning – scammers claiming to be from Councils are calling people for bank details for the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate.

The scammers are phoning people and asking for their bank details to receive the £150 rebate. They then take money from these bank accounts.

You should never give out personal information or bank details to cold callers – the Council will never ring you up and request bank details over the phone.

Households in Blackburn with Darwen and across the UK in housing bands A to D are receiving the £150 rebate to help with rising energy costs.

However, if you pay via Direct Debit, this money will be transferred straight to your bank account by the Council.

If you do not pay by Direct Debit, information will be available soon from the Council to let you know how you can apply for the rebate.

If you receive a text, email or phone call asking for information or payment please do not give out personal information, including bank details, click any links or respond.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged people to be alert to the scam and not give out any personal information.

Dean Langton, Director of Finance at the Council, said:

We are working really hard to make sure all our eligible residents receive their £150 energy rebate payments and many Direct Debit payers have already been paid straight into their bank accounts.

Non-Direct Debit payers will be contacted directly by the Council and should not respond to any other messages to do with this rebate.

These scams can look very convincing and the scammers are targeting people who already have financial worries and are taking advantage of that which is reprehensible behaviour. Please do not respond to anything like this if you are unsure about it.”

If you get sent a message that you believe to be fraudulent, you can report it to your mobile phone provider or by forwarding the message to 7726, a free reporting service provided by phone operators. You should also report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to help others avoid falling victim in the future.