A Moray pensioner has lost hundreds of pounds after scammers called him pretending he was due a council tax rebate.
Trading standards officers are now urging people to be vigilant of such scams.
For the man who lost money, he was told by someone pretending to be from Moray Council who told him he was due a refund on his council tax.
He was told that in order for the refund to go through, he needed to provide his debit card details. Later it was discovered that a significant amount of money had been taken from his account abroad.
Scammers taking advantage of confusion
Moray Council is warning people to be cautious following the incident.
A spokesman for Moray Council said: “With the recent announcement of the £150 cost of living award for some households, we’re asking residents to be vigilant as some scammers may take advantage of confusion around the implementation of the scheme to target vulnerable residents.
“All Moray residents who are living in homes eligible for a £150 rebate should have had it credited to their council tax bills which were issued recently.
“Remember that we will never phone you to tell you that you are due a rebate, and will never ask for details of a debit card.”
Anyone in Moray with a query about their council tax bill can get in contact with the council via ctaxbills@moray.gov.uk or 01343 563456.