Residents are being warned to be on their guard against suspicious phone calls they may receive.
The information has been issued following concerns from a resident who received a phone call from a London telephone number.
The caller informed her they were the British Council Tax office and were entitled to a refund in council tax as her properties council tax band had changed. The caller explained that the only way to get the refund was for the resident to provide their bank details over the phone.
Luckily, the lady did the right thing and handed the phone to her daughter, who began questioning the caller and asked them to verify that they were from the Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Tax team. The caller hung up.
The incident has been reported to the Council and investigations continue.
In the meantime, residents are reminded:
- There is no such organisation as the British Council Tax Office
- Council Tax within RCT is administered by the Council
- If an RCT resident is entitled to a refund as a result of an overpayment the Council will notify people of this by letter
- The Valuation Office in Cardiff decides Council Tax bands and any amendments that may be made to them. If your Council Tax band changes, you will be notified through the post by the Valuation Office and the Council – not via phone call.
- Anyone who receives an unexpected or uninvited call from someone claiming to be from the Council is urged to verify the identity of the caller. If they are uncertain, they should hang up immediately and contact police or the council.
- Never give personal information or banking details over the phone to a caller whose identity you have not verified.
