Council issues warning on new phone scam

BIRMINGHAM City Council has warned people to be wary of a new phone scam claiming to offer refunds on over-paid council tax.

Chris Gibbs, Service Director for Customer Services at the local authority, said people needed to be vigilant – as they did for any similar cons.

“We are aware of a scam currently targeting Birmingham residents, where the caller tells them they have paid too much Council Tax and then offers to get this money back for a fee, followed by a request for their bank details,” he said.

“Neither the council nor its associated companies will ever contact people in this way or request payment over the phone, so I would urge anyone receiving such a call not to disclose personal or financial information.”

He said that any further attempts to extract money in such a way should be reported to the council or the police straight away.

The same applies for queries regarding Council Tax payments.