A WOMAN from Widnes who doesn’t drive has received a scam e-mail to renew her car tax.

The lady who doesn’t even own a vehicle alerted Halton Council.

Trading Standards officers are now warning any other people who receive a similar message to delete it without opening and do not click on any links.

A spokesman for Halton Trading Standards said: “The scammer hopes that you will click on the link without reading the e-mail properly.

“It’s likely that the link contains ransomware or spyware that will be downloaded to your computer.

“You may also asked to pay a ransom to have the malware removed or they could steal your personal information.

“If you want to tax your car online use the official government website.”

Halton Cllr Dave Cargill, board member for Trading Standards, said: "If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam please contact one of our specialist officers who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.”

Halton Council Trading Standards can be contacted on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775.