Hardly a day goes by without a new scam targeting unsuspecting people.

And now Dorset Council is warning that fake emails have been sent to some businesses appearing to be from the council. In the email is a link to remittance advice of a payment which has not been sent.

The email encourages recipients to click a link to see how much has been paid into their account. But, by clicking the link the recipient’s device is vulnerable to being infected by malware.

The council’s advice to any business is to be alert to email fraud. If anyone is expecting correspondence from Dorset Council it will originate from an email which ends with @dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. The council will never ask anyone to provide personal information, bank account details or internet banking passwords by email.

Dorset Council asks people to remember the following:

● Were you expecting the email?

● Check for spelling mistakes and poor grammar.

● Is the sender’s email domain address correct? Dorset Council only uses the email domain XX@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.

● Be wary of emails that convey a sense of urgency such as ‘you have 24 hours to respond’. This pressure is often added to get a quick response without questioning the content of the email.

● Do not click on any links in a suspect email; this is how your device and files can be infected with malware.

If you are in any doubt, call Dorset Council on 01305 221000. Do not use any contact information contained in the suspect email – if the email is fake the contact information might be too.