Warning to residents over Council Tax phone con

COUNCIL Tax managers at Barnsley Council are warning borough residents of a bogus phone caller who attempts to gain confidential bank account details.

The caller, who has made at least three such attempts in recent days, claims to work for Barnsley Council. She tells the resident their property is in the wrong Council Tax band and they should be paying less. The phone caller then tries to trick the person targeted into disclosing their bank or building society details in an attempt to steal cash from their account.

It is suspected the fraudster may be targeting people simply by using telephone directory details.

Dave Whittingham, Head of the council’s Taxation and Revenues Division, said: "I’d advise residents that council officers rarely, if ever, need to call people about their Council Tax banding and in such a situation bank details would never need to be provided anyway.

“If anyone does have any doubts about someone representing themselves as a council officer, in this or any other matter, they should ask the person for their name and phone number and tell them they’ll call them back through the council’s switchboard on 01226 770770."

ENDS