Councils in Dorset are warning people about calls from an organisation claiming to be from one of the councils offering to reduce their council tax for a fee.
These calls are not from, or authorised by, any council. The organisation is offering to reduce the council tax liability upon receipt of a fee of £55.
Paul Hudson, Partnership Manager at the Stour Valley & Poole Partnership, which administers council tax for Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Poole councils, said: “People should be aware that these calls do not come from the councils and if people are looking to challenge their council tax they can contact the government’s Valuation Office Agency for free.”
For details of how to challenge the council tax band which a property falls into, go to www.gov.uk/council-tax-appeals or call 0300 0501 501.
The councils will only ask for people’s bank account details over the phone to make or arrange payment of council tax. If someone from a council visits a resident they will always carry an identity card. If the person visited is concerned, they should call the council to confirm the identity of the visitor. A genuine caller will be happy to wait outside while this is done.
Dorset Police are currently running a campaign warning elderly and vulnerable people about calls from fraudsters who are asking people to transfer money to a fake bank account or to send cash by courier.
Different variations of phishing attempts proliferated over the years and anyone can be a victim so be wary of calls asking for your personal or financial information. if you find the caller suspicious, simply hang up and contact the proper authorities. Always think ahead, don’t let these fraudsters deceive you. And remember this golden rule: “Never disclose sensitive information or credit card numbers to someone requesting for it over the phone.” If you’re worried that the call may be real, probe. Ask questions about the caller. Or better yet, take advantage of the free reverse phone number look-up service provided at Callercenter.com. The website keeps a record of phone numbers reportedly used in phone scams, nuisance and even prank calls. A simple phone number search can help a lot.