Dodgy call?

[Was not Was]

I wonder if anyone has had a similar call to the one I've just received ...

It was from someone claiming to be from some sort of independent organisation, overseen by the Ministry of Justice, offering to look into whether we have been overcharged by being put into the wrong Council Tax band last time banding was done.

The fella sounded open - offered a .gov website address (that doesn't exist) and offered to send information - and as though in a call centre.

It doesn't add up, but I also can't really see what the scam is. They didn't ask for any info, didn't ask for address. But maybe that's because I was asking questions from the start.

Anyone else? I can't see anything online about this - either legitimately or as a scam. Should I report it? If so, to whom?

 

[The Large One]

When I get moody calls like that, the first thing I do is Google the number in question.

I had a similar call from someone saying that they could reduce the disgraceful cost of my banking which was caused by banks over-charging etc. etc. I told him I had no problems with my bank, so he started on my credit cards - 'how many cards do you have?', 'how much are you paying?' etc.

Seeing as this was an unsolicited call to my mobile (which in itself pissed me off), at that point I told him to mind his own business. And hung up.

The second anyone starts asking me any kind of personal details, or offers me something by which my personal details have to be released, I'm basically not interested. And hang up.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Sounds like a scam , they will ask for an admin fee to initiate the enquiry with the council so that you can keep 100% of the monies recovered. You can find out all this information for free from the council. The scam has evolved from soliciting businesses to pay upfront to get a refund on business rates that might have been overpaid due to an admin error by the council.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Register with the TPS.

 

[brakespear]

I wonder if anyone has had a similar call to the one I've just received ...

It was from someone claiming to be from some sort of independent organisation, overseen by the Ministry of Justice, offering to look into whether we have been overcharged by being put into the wrong Council Tax band last time banding was done.

The fella sounded open - offered a .gov website address (that doesn't exist) and offered to send information - and as though in a call centre.

It doesn't add up, but I also can't really see what the scam is. They didn't ask for any info, didn't ask for address. But maybe that's because I was asking questions from the start.

Anyone else? I can't see anything online about this - either legitimately or as a scam. Should I report it? If so, to whom?

Not to cast doubt, because I haven't had one of those calls, but I have just had a refund on my Council Tax from the previous house I owned (over £600 ) because it had been reclassified. Don't know whether there's some government project on at the moment but there was no contact prior to an envelope turning up giving the details of the refund.

 

[Fef]

I wonder if anyone has had a similar call to the one I've just received ...

It was from someone claiming to be from some sort of independent organisation, overseen by the Ministry of Justice, offering to look into whether we have been overcharged by being put into the wrong Council Tax band last time banding was done.

The fella sounded open - offered a .gov website address (that doesn't exist) and offered to send information - and as though in a call centre.

It doesn't add up, but I also can't really see what the scam is. They didn't ask for any info, didn't ask for address. But maybe that's because I was asking questions from the start.

Anyone else? I can't see anything online about this - either legitimately or as a scam. Should I report it? If so, to whom?

I know that hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I've had a chance to reflect on your posting, but it's the Valuations Agency who deal with council tax bands and not the MoJ. You're right that it was some sort of con.

I had a call from 01484 467340 today who claimed they had ten clients lined up for my business. Yeah right! They got my name and mobile number from a trade website, and would no doubt require some sort of introduction fee first.

I'm intrigued why they still let their phone number through CLID, rather than withholding it.