Lloyds Bank issues alert on council tax scam targeting ‘anyone with an email account’ | Personal Finance | Finance
Sadly, scams are rife, but many are looking to prey on uncertainty surrounding the ongoing cost of living crisis. This is the case for one scam message, which Lloyds Bank states is targeting “anyone with an email account”.
With many people looking for more support with their household bills, they could be more easily influenced than usual by a message claiming to offer money off council tax.
The email reads: “You are getting a council tax reduction – this used it be called council tax benefit.
“This is considering you’re on a low income or get benefits.
“The refund amount will be transferred directly onto your Debit/Credit card.
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The correspondence has been confirmed by Lloyds Bank as a scam, designed to get Britons to part with their personal details.
The website they are redirected to is in fact a phishing page, which is intended to harvest personal and sensitive details from unsuspecting victims.
These details could be used to commit identity fraud, and a person could see their bank account wiped out as a result.
The dangerous scam is making a resurgence, in different forms, as a legitimate council tax rebate is being issued to Britons.
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Firstly, individuals should always keep their money and details safe by never moving money, making a payment or parting with details for a message which comes out of the blue.
Next, they should always click with care and never engage with a link or download an attachment unless they are certain it is genuine.
A key sign people are engaging with a scam is if the layout or spelling of the email has mistakes, or looks odd. In this case, Britons should simply delete the message.
Finally, individuals should always take their time when interacting with a message to protect themselves.
Scams may use warnings, threats or supposed limited time offers in the efforts to get people to act without thinking.
In a similar sense, before making any payments, individuals should always double-check by confirming payment details, or calling the person or business on a number they trust.
