Rotherham council tax con alert

The Valuation Office Agency, which records council tax and business tax ratings, said residents all over the country, including two in Rotherham, had received calls from crooks who claimed to be VOA officials or from the local council.

Those targeted were asked to part with their credit card or bank account details in order for the money to be refunded into their accounts.

Some have even been asked to make a one-off administration fee to process the refund.

Tim Eden, director of council tax for the Valuation Office Agency, said: "This is outrageous and targets vulnerable people with false promises.

"People must not pay any attention to these crooks and should report such calls to the police. Some of the callers are very aggressive and intimidating but people should not be fooled into thinking these calls are legitimate.

"The VOA does not ask people for financial details over the phone or in person.

"If people have questions about their council tax band, they should go to our website, www.voa.gov.uk, where they can get information on how bands are determined and what to do if they disagree with their banding."

A spokeswoman for Rotherham Borough Council reiterated the warning, saying the authority had been made aware of two incidents of this type in the last few months.

She added: "Householders should be warned to be on their guard as we have received information about two such incidents across Rotherham.

"This authority, like all others, is not involved in the valuation process and so would certainly not be making calls of this kind and neither does the Valuation Office Agency.

"Anyone receiving these kind of calls should not co-operate and should immediately inform the police.

"If anyone does have enquiries about their council tax banding, they should contact the Valuation Office Agency."