RESIDENTS are being warned of a council tax phone scam targeting the district.
A company called ‘GSM Marketing’ is claiming to be acting on behalf of Stratford District Council and attempting to take money from residents.
The caller asks for a £150 up-front fee in return for ‘lowering their council tax band’.
Council leader Tony Jefferson has stressed council tax bands were not dealt with by the council and could only be changed under special conditions.
Residents are urged to contact the council’s corporate fraud office to report any suspicious calls.
A spokesperson from the fraud office said: “Scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. Opportunists are coming up with new and quite innovative ways to fool people into giving up their hard earned cash, personal information or other data.
“Many fall victim to scams. Scams can look so credible and sound so plausible. And yet we don’t talk about it, even though talking about it raises awareness of scams and is one of the best ways of preventing these crimes.”
Anyone who has given out personal details should call police on 101 or the Action Fraud helpline on 0300 123 2040.
