Council Tax Rebate Is A Scam

Bogus caller offers resident £8,000 for 'paying his tax on time'

Chiswick Police have passed on a Trading Standard's SCAM warning after a resident received a suspicious phone call informing him he was going to receive a tax rebate from Hounslow Council.

A man, who had a such strong Indian accent he was at times was difficult to understand, claimed to be calling from the tax department offering a rebate of £8,000 because the resident had paid his council tax on time over the past six years.

When the resident became suspicious and asked for a contact number to ring back on, the caller instantly hung up.

A spokesperson for the Police said: "Hounslow Council would not contact residents in this manner and Trading standards have issued a SCAM warning regarding this subject matter."

He added: "Never give personal or banking details to cold callers either on the phone or at you door."

January 14, 2011