Oxford City Council is warning Oxford residents against Council Tax scams aimed at getting their personal bank details and conning them out of their money.
Scammers are contacting people by phone, text and email and posing as staff from the council, the Valuation Office Agency or the Tax Recovery Bureau in order to defraud them.
Scammers may say:
- you've paid too much Council Tax and are due a refund which they will offer to claim on your behalf for a fee
- your home is in the wrong council tax band and offer a refund in return for a fee
- you are in arrears with your Council Tax and demand payment
How to verify genuine contact from the council
The council does ask for information from residents to administer their council tax accounts, including refunds or arranging arrears collection.
These are some tips to help you verify genuine contact:
- all Oxford City Council email addresses end with @oxford.gov.uk
- the council will never ask for payment to make a Council Tax refund
- Council Tax band reassessments are free
If you'd like to check any contact you've received is genuine you can get in touch with the team directly by email at counciltax@oxford.gov.uk
More information
Staying safe from scammers - a guide from the Valuation Office Agency at GOV.UK
