Dundee City Council issues 'scam alert' as residents phoned by con artist

Residents in Dundee have been warned against falling for scams, after some locals reported being phoned by a con artist in recent days.

The city’s council said it had been made aware of someone who was calling residents and pretending to work for its housing service, offering mould inspections.

The calls were usually made by a mobile number beginning with 07477.

People who receive the calls are being advised to “hang up immediately and block the number”.

Dundee City Council’s website also hosts a dedicated page alerting residents to other kinds of scams to watch out for.

⚠️ Scam Alert ⚠️

We have been made aware of a scam by an individual phoning residents pretending to work for the Council’s housing service and offering mould inspections.

They are usually phoning from a mobile number beginning 07477. pic.twitter.com/ImYFs37D0U
— Dundee City Council (@DundeeCouncil) August 22, 2023

Some advice from Action Fraud UK to avoid being conned includes:

Protect yourself from tax rebate fraud
Make vigorous checks if you ever get a cold call associated with a tax rebate.
Never take up offers of tax rebates on the spot from cold calls and texts messages. Take a look at the recent tax rebate scams by HMRC – the same technique of offering an enticing-looking refund can be applied to private companies and public organisations.
Don’t give your bank account details or sensitive information to anyone without carrying out your own research on them.
Get independent financial advice before claiming any form of tax refund.
Check the caller’s credentials. Ask if they have a permanent business address and landline telephone number. Any mobile numbers given by fraudsters are often pay-as-you-go numbers which are virtually impossible to trace.
Always check a company’s contact details (such as a website, address and phone number) are correct and that they registered in the UK.