RESIDENTS of Copeland have been warned of a tax scam designed to secure bank or card details.

Copeland Borough Council is making residents aware of a scam claiming to offer council tax refunds.

Fraudulent emails have been sent to residents of Copeland which appear to be from a government address.

A spokesperson for Copeland council said: "We would never contact you about council tax refunds by email, we would issue a bill with the credit showing."

The council is advising residents not to click on the links in these emails.

Council tax scams are designed to elicit credit card or bank details.

Homeowners in the North West have seen a surge in cyber crime since the beginning of lockdown with some scammers using the coronavirus in their methods. Some scammers are calling homes to demand money for PPE and Covid-19 tests, claiming to work for the NHS.