Council Tax Rebate Email Scam: Is It Real? How to Tell

Last updated: July 2026

If you’ve had an email offering a Council Tax rebate or refund and asking for your bank or card details, it’s a scam. Your local council already holds the details it needs to refund you, and it will never email or text asking you to “claim” a refund by entering card information on a form. The link leads to a fake page built to steal your details. Don’t click it — delete the email.

Want to check yours right now? Run the email through ScanTheSender for an instant result.

What this scam looks like

The email claims you’ve overpaid Council Tax, or that you’re owed a rebate, and gives a specific-sounding amount and a reference number to look official. It usually copies GOV.UK or council branding and includes a button or link to “claim your refund.”

That link takes you to a convincing-looking form asking for your name, address, date of birth, and card or bank details. There’s no refund — the form simply harvests everything you type.

An illustrative example of the wording (a made-up sample, not a real message):

“Dear Customer, our records show you are due a Council Tax refund of £248.60 for the current year. To receive your payment, confirm your details here: [link]”

Councils have repeatedly warned that these emails don’t come from them, even when they mention Council Tax and look like GOV.UK.

How to tell if a Council Tax rebate email is a scam

• It asks for card or bank details to “receive” a refund. A genuine refund goes back to an account the council already has, or you’re told to claim it through your council’s own website.
• It creates urgency or a deadline. Real refunds don’t expire because you ignored an email.
• The link doesn’t go to a real gov.uk or council domain. Hover over it — scam links often use lookalike or unrelated web addresses.
• The greeting is generic (“Dear Customer”) and the sender address isn’t your council’s official one.

What to do right now

1. Don’t click the link, open attachments, or fill in any form.
2. Check independently. If you think you might genuinely be owed money, contact your council directly using the number or website on a previous bill or on GOV.UK — not anything in the email.
3. Report it. Forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk (the NCSC’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service), and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
4. If you already entered card or bank details, contact your bank immediately — they can act fast to protect your account — then report it to Action Fraud.
5. Delete the email.

FAQ

Does my council send refund emails asking for bank details? No. Councils don’t email or text asking you to enter card or bank details to claim a Council Tax refund. If you’re owed money, it’s returned to an account they already hold, or you claim it through the council’s official website.

I clicked the link but didn’t enter anything — am I at risk? Clicking alone is lower risk than entering details, but close the page and don’t fill in anything. To be safe, run a security scan on your device and keep an eye on your accounts. Report the email so others are protected.

How do I know if I’m actually due a Council Tax refund? Contact your local council directly using details from an official bill or GOV.UK. Never use a phone number or link from the suspicious email itself.

I gave them my card details. What now? Call your bank straight away using the number on the back of your card — they can freeze or protect your account. Then report it to Action Fraud at 0300 123 2040.

Not sure about an email?

Check if your Council Tax email is a scam — paste it into ScanTheSender for a free, instant result before you click anything.

Related reading: the same tricks power the HMRC tax refund email scam and Royal Mail delivery scam emails.