News story

Avoid and report internet scams and phishing

Find out how to avoid scam emails and how to report fraudsters claiming to be from the VOA.

• From: Valuation Office Agency
• Published: 23 December 2016
• Last updated: 17 May 2018 — See all updates

‘Phishing’ emails claim to be from a legitimate source and can look very realistic. In reality, they come from fraudsters looking to access personal information such as bank details or passwords. Fraudsters sending these emails out may claim to be from the VOA, usually offering council tax or business rates refunds.

The VOA will never send an email about refunds for business rates or council tax. If you receive an email that claims to be from the VOA offering you a refund, you should delete it immediately.

The VOA does not offer any kind of refund as we are not responsible for collecting council tax or business rates.

You can report misleading emails you think may be suspicious to Action Fraud. Don’t give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), download attachments or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine.

Published 23 December 2016
Last updated 17 May 2018 + show all updates

1. 17 May 2018

   Fixed a broken link to actionfraud page.

2. 23 December 2016

   First published.