FRAUD ALERT

FRAUD ALERT

COVID-19: WARNING OVER TEXTS OFFERING FAKE ‘THIRD LOCKDOWN’ HMRC GRANT

A wave of scam text messages are being received across the UK, potentially duping people into giving up their card details in order to claim a non-existent government grant.

The Fraudulent Texts
We have been made aware that unsolicited text messages are being sent to members of the public purporting to offer a COVID-19 Grant due to the current lockdown.
The text includes a link to “claim” the grant and starts with the words GOV.UK or HMRC, suggesting the text message has been sent by or on behalf of the Government and is therefore an authentic message.
See example above, the fraudulent text claims to be from HMRC but links to a non gov website.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “HMRC will never offer a tax refund by text, email or phone. One way to check whether you are due a rebate is to log into your Personal Tax Account.”

What you can do:
Fraudsters are taking advantage of individuals in need of COVID 19 grants, it is important that Councils take steps to prevent fraudulent activity against members of the public. We recommend the following:
✓ Alert members of the public to these fraudulent attempts.
✓ Encourage those who receive them to report them.
The National Cyber Security Centre advises: “Suspicious text messages should be forwarded to 7726. This free-of-charge short code enables your provider to investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious.”
HMRC advise: “Check gov.uk for our scams checklist, find out how to report tax scams here, and get information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact here,”


PLEASE SHARE THIS ALERT AND HELP US TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC PURSE

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Records Retention Schedule

Financial Risk Management Policy - March 2023

Grant Application Kings Coronation Form

The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6th May 2023, with an additional bank holiday on Monday 8th May 2023.

We are keen to hear from groups/organisations in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge that are looking to celebrate the Coronation. The Town Council has £1500 available to allocate to events being organised to celebrate the Kings Coronation. The maximum grant to be allocated per event will be £500.

You must meet the following criteria for your application to be considered:

– The event will be open to all members of the public

– The event will be free of charge

– The event will take place within the Coronation weekend

– The event will take place within Burnham on Sea or Highbridge

 

Applications will close on Monday 6th March at midday. 

Your organisation and contact details

What happens next....
Applications will be considered at the Finance and Resources Committee Meeting on Monday 13th March 2023. You will be notified after this date whether your application has been successful.
Burnham & Highbridge Town Council takes your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information for the purposes of contacting you about this grant. The Council’s privacy notice can be found here.

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