A fraudulent email which appears to be from Oldham Council and claims residents are entitled to a council tax rebate is sweeping the borough.

The council have issued an urgent warning on social media after receiving reports from residents of the scam email.

The Oldham Council warning reads: “We’re aware of reports that some residents have received an email which appears to be from Oldham Council and claims you are entitled to a Council Tax rebate.

“This email, which also includes instructions on how to claim this rebate, is a scam.

“The council has already directly paid eligible households, either by bank transfer or through vouchers received in the post.

“In some cases, the council has conducted additional administrative checks with some residents to ensure payments have gone to the correct person, however this has been done by letter.”

Back in April the money saving expert Martin Lewis issued a scam warning to households expecting to receive the £150 council tax rebate Mr Lewis urged households to be wary of cold callers claiming to be from the council asking people to hand over their bank details to seemingly be paid the £150 rebate.

He warned that scammers have been using the government scheme as an opportunity to steal people’s bank details.

Anyone who receives an email claiming they are entitled to a council tax rebate which appears to be from Oldham Council is urged to report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by emailing report@phishing.gov.uk Anyone who is worried they may have been scammed and have already responded, should end all further communication immediately.

Any scam victims should call their bank directly and cancel any recurring payments. Most banks, including Halifax, Lloyds and Natwest can be contacted using the new 159 scam hotline.

Scam should also be reported to the police via Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or report it anonymously on the Action Fraud website.

For further help, Citizens Advice Scams Action can be contacted via the Citizens Advice website, or call the Scams Action helpline on 0808 250 5050.