Phone scammers posing as Council employees

Another scam is doing the rounds where bogus telephone callers are posing as Council officials.

Trading Standards officers have received a number of reports that residents are getting phone calls saying there is a problem with their council tax and asking for payment. The person on the phone couldn’t tell them how much they owed or their account number. 

The callers got frustrated and hung up on the customer after they failed to pay.  Another resident received a call from a company claiming they were issuing Council Tax refunds for overpayment and wanted bank details.

Councillor Dave Downie, Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities said: “These fraudsters are making money out of targeting some of our most vulnerable residents. It’s terrible that people would try to use the Council’s name in this way. We’d like to make sure as many people as possible are aware these scams are doing rounds so they don’t fall victim.”

“The Council does contact customers to ask for payment of Council Tax and we also send text messages. However when we contact a customer we are always able to verify their account number and account details.”

If anyone has responded to one of these cold calls they should report the matter to Action Fraud on www.actionfraud.police.uk call 0300 123 2040 or the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06.