Residents of Barking and Dagenham are being advised by the council to ignore a letter purported to come from the council telling them of a government scheme which can see them get a refund of Council Tax paid in the past five months.

The letter which on letterheaded paper with an old council logo is asking residents to verify their email addresses and provide an update with personal details of everyone living in the property. Residents are being warned that it is a fake as there is no such scheme being run by the government or the council.

I am urging our residents not to be fooled by this letter – it is a scam. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is

The letter goes on to claim that from 26 August, ‘citizens can apply for up to 1 full year free of charge council tax. Based on your area, your time at the address and household income you can be eligible to avoid paying 3 months, 6 months or even 12 months of council tax.’ 

Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “I am urging our residents not to be fooled by this letter – it is a scam. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“I am appealing to residents who may have received this letter to please ignore it. If any resident has responded and supplied their details, they should immediately check with their banks to be sure money has not been taken from their accounts. If people receive any letters claiming to be from the council that they are unsure about please contact the council to verify.”

If you suspect any scam, please report it to the consumer helpline on freephone 0808 2231133.