Public Notice: Hackney Council and local police warn of phone scam in the borough

Police and Hackney Council are warning residents of a scam currently targeting the Borough, and attempting to obtain bank details over the phone.

The scam has been used in other areas of the Capital, but cases are now being reported in Hackney. Crooks are phoning residents and pretending to be Council or Treasury employees, before explaining that a payment or refund is due on your Council Tax bill. They then request bank details in order to proceed with the transaction, and occasionally suggest a 'charitable donation' is made to the authorities, using Western Union.

These are not genuine Council employees and, should anyone find themselves dealing with someone who is asking for their bank details on behalf of Hackney Council for Council Tax purposes, they should not disclose any information, and report them immediately to the Council's Trading Standards Department on 020 8356 4929.

On occasions when the Council does need to arrange a Council Tax payment over the phone, they will not require your details or confirmation of any personal information, as they will have your records at hand. This is unusual anyway, as almost of contact from the Council Tax Office is done in writing. And Hackney Council do not contact residents for Council Tax refunds or rebates, at all.

If you have any worries about this or any other scams or suspicious acitivities then please get in touch or contact the Council directly on 020 8356 4929.

Photograph courtesy of Justin Brockie at Flickr