Council Tax Refund Phishing Scam via Email
Emails claiming a council tax overpayment refund is due direct recipients to a fake council portal that captures banking details rather than issuing any refund.
Part of: Council Tax Refund Phishing Scam
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
This scam spreads primarily by email because it can convincingly imitate official council branding, letterheads, and reference numbers at scale, exploiting genuine annual council tax review periods when refunds are more plausible.
How this scam works on email refund links
An email arrives styled to look like it is from the local council, stating that a review of council tax band or payment history found an overpayment and a refund is due. It includes a 'Claim your refund' button linking to a page that mimics the council's website, asking for full bank account and sort code details, or in some versions, a card number and CVV under the pretext of 'verifying identity for the transfer.'
A more aggressive variant asks the recipient to pay a small 'administration fee' via card before the refund can be 'released', reversing the direction of payment entirely. The email often includes a fabricated council tax reference number and the recipient's approximate address (scraped from public or leaked data) to appear personalized and credible.
Common red flags
- Email claims a council tax refund is due and requires clicking a link to claim it
- Sender email domain does not match the official council's domain exactly
- Request for full bank details or card information to 'process' or 'release' a refund
- Request to pay a fee before receiving a refund
- Generic greeting or slightly wrong address details despite claiming personalization
- Urgent deadline claiming the refund will be forfeited if not claimed immediately
How to protect yourself
- Contact your local council directly using the phone number on their official website to verify any refund claim
- Never enter bank details into a page linked from an unsolicited email
- Check the sender's email address carefully for domain spoofing or lookalike characters
- Remember that councils never require a fee to release a genuine refund
- Report suspicious emails to your council's fraud team and delete without clicking links
- Use your council's official online account portal directly rather than any emailed link
How to report it
- Forward the phishing email to your national reporting address (e.g. [email protected] in the UK)
- Report to Action Fraud (UK) or the FTC (US)
- Notify your local council directly so they can alert other residents
Frequently asked questions
How would I know if I'm actually owed a council tax refund?
Check your council tax account directly through your council's official online portal or by calling them using a number you look up independently — never one provided in the email.
Is it safe to click the link just to look, without entering details?
It's safest not to click at all, as some phishing links can attempt to harvest device information or deliver malware even before you enter data.