VALE of Glamorgan Council Trading Standards Officers are warning residents of a scam involving calls offering to reduce council tax bills.

They claim to be able to do this because the house may be in the wrong band. They also say that refunds can be claimed for any previous overpayments.

The caller requests payment details to process a £50 upfront fee to open the file.

Residents should be aware that if their property is in the wrong band it can be corrected free of charge by contacting the Valuation Office on 03000 505505. In addition some of the properties involved were in the lowest priced band “A” and could not possibly have bills reduced.

It is not clear whether any reduction is ever obtained for residents but the scammers are then in possession of important bank or credit card details.

Principal Trading Standards Officer Christina Roberts-Kinsey said: “Vale residents are urged to refrain from offering important data such as bank details to anyone unless they are completely sure that it is safe to do so.

“If you are in any doubt or you require information relating to your council tax account, you are advised to contact the Vale of Glamorgan Council Tax Section on 01446 700111.”

Residents who have already given their account details over the phone are advised to contact their banks as soon as possible.

If you believe you’ve received a similar call please report it to Citizens Advice, by calling 08454 04 05 06. This information is immediately sent to the council’s Trading Standards Service.