Residents are being warned to be on their guard for suspicious emails that aim to capture their personal details. Anyone who receives an email about a council tax refund which asks them to click a link and complete an online form should ignore it or delete it.
The email that has been recently flagged has no official branding and is worded very informally. By clicking the link in the email, it leads you to a web page where you are asked to input your banking information.
People are being advised not to enter their information and put themselves at risk. Here’s the county council’s top tips on how to protect yourself:
- Don’t open attachments or click on the links within any unsolicited emails you receive
- Never respond to emails that ask for your personal or financial details.
- The web address may appear trustworthy, but remember you can hover over a link to see where it will really take you.
- An email address can appear legitimate, so even if the email appears to be from a person or a company you know of, if the message is unexpected or unusual then contact the sender directly via another method to confirm that they sent you the email.
- If you receive an email which asks you to login to an online account, for example due to suspicious activity on your account, instead of clicking on the link provided in the email, go directly to the website yourself.
The email mentioned has been reported, however the county council urges people to remain vigilant and be careful about with whom they share their personal information.
If you have any concerns or feel you may have been affected visit actionfraud.police.uk
