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Scam warnings

Scammers often pretend to be us. Whether it's online, on the phone, or sometimes even on your doorstep, some criminals think they can trick you into trusting them, by posing as the council... but unlike us, they can never prove they are who they say they are.

Scam SM

Here are some scams we've had reported to us, and how you can spot them. Stay sharp out there!

Fake window/tree/other works scam

Fake contractors have been reported as claiming to be working with the council.

The scammers claim they are working with us to do works on the property. Examples include replacing windows and maintaining trees.

If the scammers convince you to let them do the work, they then try to charge you for it.

Remember:

  • Scammers will often pretend to be from the council to try and earn your trust.
  • We, or our legitimate contractors, will make an appointment with you to carry out work.
  • We, or our legitimate contractors, always carry official ID and will be happy to wait while you check that we are who we say we are.
  • You can check our identity by simply calling our published main office numbers.

Fake housing / Council Tax scam

Phone scam fraudsters have been reported posing as the council.

The scammers:

  • Call residents (not just council tenants) claiming to be from Redditch Borough Council Housing and may know the person's name, national insurance number, full address, and layout of their property.
  • Say they've had a complaint about the condition of the person's home and that they have a warrant to gain entry and check.
  • Say the person owes Council Tax and could pay the balance over the phone to them now to avoid prosecution.

Remember:

Anyone can say they are from the council, but only we can prove it. It’s easy to check that we are who we say we are if you are in any doubt: just call our known and published main office numbers. We will always be happy to wait if you want to check that we're legitimate.