Kingston Council has been contacted by a number of residents today who have been contacted on the telephone by someone claiming to be ringing from ‘The Council Tax department’ or from a company saying that the customer can get a rebate on their Council Tax.

The caller is also telling residents that their Council tax band has been changed to a lower rate.

The caller says that all the resident has to do is provide their bank account details and the caller will transfer the ‘rebate’ to their account.

Some residents have also been asked to send a sum of money to a given account to cover the cost of ‘administration’ or to make a donation to ‘charity’.

In all instances the advice from Kingston Council is DO NOT provide details of your bank account or date of birth over the telephone. Residents who receive such an approach are advised to ask for the name and telephone number of the caller and finish the call.

Any genuine caller from Kingston Council will be happy to provide their name and a number where residents can return the call to verify the details.

Commenting, Aiden Walsh, Assistant Manager of Counter Fraud and Corruption Unit at Kingston Council, said: “The chances are that these calls are a scam. Kingston Council has received a steady flow of calls today which indicates that the scammers are currently targeting residents in the area.

"The police are aware of the increase in activity today. If in doubt, contact the Council Tax office and they can check whether there are any changes to your entitlement.”

Have you had a phone call from the so-called scammers? Let us know!

www.kingston.gov.uk/council_tax