Council Tax Scam

[asperity]

Last week my mother was phoned by a woman claiming to have information that her house was in the wrong Council Tax band and that she could be in line for a large refund. My mother knows nothing about anything financial. The woman told her that she was sending a surveyor called Smith around to check if the valuation wss correct. Sometime later her cleaner (who is there for an hour every fortnight) showed this man into my mother's lounge. He introduced himself as Mr Smith "but you can call me Keith". He said that he had determined that the valuation was correct and then wrote down a mobile phone number and the sum of £162.50 on a sheet of paper which he handed to her. When mother asked what that was he told her it was for the valuation and solicitor's fee! At this my mother gave him directions for the front door, told him to get out and to close the door properly behind him. A short time later my brother turned up and, when she told him, phoned the police who were very interested.

 

This was in Wallasey, but I imagine there are similar scum all over the place.

[observer]

There was a some cold calling (on the phone) about this some time ago, which did have a germ of truth in it, However, it applies to only a few folk and an application to the Tax Banding Authorities brings you back down to earth. In this case, a pity you wern't able to call the Police when the guy was still there.

[Dizzy]

I hope the police manage to trace them Asp and good job your mums cleaner happened to be there at the time too or they might have made her pay there and then.  

Trading standards and other warrington bodies have been warning about these council tax 'scam' companies for some time. Some are 'genuine' (for want of a better word) companies in the respect that they do actually look into your banding but considering it's something that people can do themselves for FREE anyway by simply phoning the Valuation Office they are simply taking money for nothing and still fall into the 'scam' category as far as I'm concerned.

It's been happening in Warrington for over a year now and last September Trading Standards were asking anyone (business or residential) to phone the police on 101 or crimestoppers if they had any similar calls and NOT to give the callers any personal info.

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/12292/1/Warning-over-council-tax-scam/Page1.html

Warrington Borough Council has a very good info page warning people about the 'unscrupulous individuals and companies' who may be operating in the area and worth passing on their info to people who may be vunerable and fall for it.

See here

 

Council Tax Scam Warning - WBC info

I wish one of the companies would ring me though as I'd have some fun with them