Oldham Council has warned residents to be vigilant following reports of scammers targeting people.

Scammers are asking unsuspecting residents to provide their bank details and card numbers over the phone.

According to Oldham Council, the scammers are impersonating council staff and telling people they are in the wrong council tax band, before pretending to offer residents a refund on their council tax.

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Anyone who has been targeted has been asked to report the scam to report@phishing.gov.uk.

A similar scam occurred in July last year as well, where residents were told they could get a rebate on council tax via email.

According to research by Citizens Advice in May 2022, millions have been targeted by scammers since the cost-of-living crisis began.

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More than three quarters of UK adults said they had been targeted by a scammer in the first five months of 2022, according to Citizens Advice.

Earlier this week, the UK government confirmed that a text purporting to offer a £750 payment from the Department for Work and Pensions was a scam.

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The most common types of scams reported, according to Citizens Advice, were deliveries, postal or courier service scams (55 per cent), someone pretending to be from the government or HMRC (41 per cent) and someone offering a fake investment scheme (29 per cent).

Other scams included rebates and refunds, banking, online shopping, health or medical, and energy scams.

Scams can be reported to police through the Action Fraud service online or through 0300 123 2040.