Housing Rent and Council Tax payment scam
It has come to our attention that fraudsters are advertising on social media to help residents get a discount on their monthly Housing Rent and Council Tax payments.
About the payment scam
Residents are duped into transferring money to the fraudster’s bank account, on the promise that they will pay their Council Tax and Housing Rent on their behalf.
Fraudsters are using stolen credit and debit cards to pay the resident’s Council Tax and Housing Rent, and they are keeping the transferred funds for themselves.
When the victim of the stolen payment card reports the unauthorised transaction on their bank account, the payments are reversed, leaving the resident's Council Tax and Housing Rent account in arrears.
Residents not only lose the funds that they have transferred, but they are also still fully liable for the arrears on their Council Tax and Housing Rent accounts, and run the risk of being investigated and prosecuted for fraud offences.
Be aware that no one can legitimately offer any discount on Council Tax or Housing Rent payments and the account holder remains fully liable for all payments to their account.
Report a scam
If you think that you may have been involved in a payment scam, let us know:
Find help
If you are having difficulties paying your Housing Rent or Council Tax, see our advice pages:
Find out more about cost of living support
Find out if you qualify for benfits support
If you need more help, phone us: 0121 216 3030
Page last updated: 9 October 2025
