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Householders are being encouraged to be alert as scammers begin to target the new energy rebate scheme.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced earlier this month that the Government would be stepping in to help families who might struggle with the rise in energy prices.
And scammers have wasted no time in trying to take advantage.
There have been reports that thieves are contacting people by phone and claiming they need their bank details to access the new rebate payment, reports Birmingham Live.
The first reports have been made in Solihull, where the council has issued a warning to residents.
It reminded residents that the authority would never call unsolicited and ask for bank details.
Councillor Bob Sleigh said: “I’m very sorry to say that we’ve already had reports of potential fraudsters trying to take advantage of this scheme, contacting people and asking for bank details, pretending it’s related to the energy bill rebate.
“I want to take this opportunity to absolutely reassure all Solihull residents that the council will never telephone a resident unannounced to ask them for their bank details.
“We want to make sure all our residents are well informed about this and encourage them to contact us if they have any concerns.
“We do try to encourage residents to set up direct debits for council tax and I would say again it’s the safest way to pay and guard against this sort of scam.”
The genuine…
