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Stratford-on-Avon District Council has warned residents about scam emails offering Council Tax refunds. The emails say your Council Tax account has been credited and ask you to click a link, usually labelled “View Account Details”, to claim the money. The council says the emails are not from it, and residents in the district have already received them.
How to spot the Council Tax refund scam
- It arrives out of the blue and says a credit or refund is waiting on your account.
- It wants you to click a link to “view” or “arrange” the refund.
- The page behind the link asks for personal, card or bank details.
The council says that when it does need to contact you about your Council Tax, its messages will be “clear, specific and sent through official channels”.
What to do if you get one
- Don’t click the link and don’t reply with any personal or banking information.
- Check with the council directly if you’re not sure: call Stratford-on-Avon District Council on 01789 267575 and quote your Council Tax reference number, which is printed on your bill. Use the number on your bill or the council’s website, not one given in the email.
- Report it: forward suspicious emails to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk, then delete them.
- Already clicked and typed in your details? Call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, and change any password you entered.
Council Tax in Stratford-on-Avon district is collected by the district council for itself, Warwickshire County Council, the police and crime commissioner and the town and parish councils, so any genuine refund or credit would come from the district council, and you can always check one by contacting it directly.
The warning was also reported by the Stratford Herald. More council news is on our council page.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
