Dudley Council is urging residents to be on their guard after a recent spate of bogus calls to residents claiming to offer council tax refunds.

The local authority’s scams unit has received a number of calls from concerned residents who have received dodgy calls from a company claiming they have paid too much council tax and are eligible for a £2,000 refund.

The caller is asking for the resident’s card details to pay for any admin fees and there have been cases where money has been taken out of accounts within minutes.

There have also been cases where residents have received letters in regards to their false refund. As is often the case, the scammers are targeting older and vulnerable residents in the borough. The scams unit has also received calls about another scam where people receive a recorded phone message claiming there is an irregular payment on their card and asking them to press option one to verify their card details. Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said:

"We’re urging residents to always air on the side of caution. If something sounds suspicious or it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Please don’t give your card details out and please report any calls immediately to our scams unit or the police by calling 101.

"Dudley Council’s scams unit is working to put a stop to this and protect those most at risk. If anyone is concerned they or someone they know may have fallen victim contact the team on 01384 818871."