Watch out for council tax scammers

Residents are being urged to be on their guard against rogue traders to offer to cut their council tax bills – for a fee.

The council’s Public Protection team, which covers trading standards, has received a number of complaints from residents who have been targeted by companies and it is believed to be a particular problem in the Middleton area.

The companies tempt residents with promises of cheaper bills, but they don’t initially mention the average £175 fee – or that decisions on rebanding are taken by the Government’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA) which does not charge for its services.

The scams sees the companies cold call people during the day and then arrange face-to-face appointments where customers are pushed into handing over cash.

Councillor Terry Linden, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “What concerns us most about these unscrupulous companies is that their targets are people who are at home during the day, which tend to be older, more vulnerable members of our community.

“People will always be tempted by the promise of cheaper bills, but these companies make promises that they simply can’t deliver and they usually disappear into thin air once they’ve secured their fee.”