Council tax scam warning

Rochdale council is warning people to be on their guard after residents in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale were phoned by fraudsters claiming to be from the council offering a refund for council tax overpayments.

In all cases the bogus callers said the resident was entitled to a rebate of thousands of pounds and requested bank details so that it could be paid back. In one instance a lady from Rochdale was surprised to be told she was due a £7,000 rebate:

“He was very persistent and said that all I needed to do was tell him the details on my bank card and he would process the refund. He gave me a verification number and said he was from the council, but to be honest I was very suspicious from the start,” she said.

The same scam has been used in the borough before. Fortunately so far, the quick-witted residents have refused to provide bank details and have reported the fake callers to the council instead. But trading standards know that fraudsters are targeting the borough once more.

Cabinet member for responsible for community safety and enforcement, Councillor Terry Linden said: “On these occasions, fortunately the residents were suspicious enough not give any details to the caller. You should never give bank account details over the phone to anyone, unless you are absolutely sure who they are and why they want the information. The council would never ring someone unannounced to ask for their bank details. If we needed to make a refund, a notice would be sent in the post first, outlining the options for getting the money back.”

Anyone who receives a suspicious call, or has further information about the scam, such as a name, address or telephone number, should report it to Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.