Fraudsters are conning Brighton and Hove residents by pretending to offer them council tax refunds, then stealing their bank account details.
Brighton and Hove City Council says it has had four reports of this happening over the last few days and in one case, money was subsequently stolen from the resident’s bank account.
The fraudsters call up residents pretending to be working for the council. They say that refunds of council tax worth thousands of pounds are due, then they ask for bank details and other personal information. In one case, the fraudsters sent a letter pretending to be from the council.
If residents have received a letter or phone call offering them a refund, they should contact the council tax department directly on 01273 291291 or via the website.
Residents should also call the police if they have been a victim of attempted fraud.
You can’t take money from someone’s account simply by having their account number and sort code – you can only put money in!
They must have also given them stuff like online banking passwords, which the bank will NEVER ask for, and if you give them out you are being very silly.