Council Tax re-banding scam - be aware!!
The Council has been made aware by residents of a Council Tax re-banding scam
Residents are being contacted by someone claiming to be from a company stating that they are due a refund following the re-banding of their property for council tax purposes.
In one case a local resident was then asked to pay £160 by debit card over the phone for them to investigate their re-banding in order for them to receive a £1600 refund. Fortunately, on this occasion the resident did exactly the right thing and put the phone down and immediately contacted the Council to verify the information. We were able to confirm that no such re-banding had taken place on their property and needless to say the numbers the resident was given to phone the company back did not exist.
Please be aware that the Council would never contact residents in this way to inform them of a re-banding overpayment or any other overpayment. The Council will always write a letter/email an individual to inform them of an overpayment.
So the advice is simple, if you are cold called by someone claiming that you are owed money by the Council as part of a Council tax rebate/refund simply put the phone down and report any fraud to the police or phone 0300 123 2040. Make sure you tell your friends and family of this scam too - especially those who could be vulnerable to such a scam.
For further information on dealing with scams and fraud, visit the Citizens Advice Bureau or the consumer helpline telephone number via 0808 223 1133.