We urge residents to be aware of an aggressive telephone fraud campaign that is hitting Dorset (and other counties) with some force.  We have now had several residents that have been targeted over the telephone and in person by male and female bogus callers claiming to be from the council.

Older women in particular are being targeted.

In some incidents, residents were phoned and told they were entitled to council tax refunds. The potential victims were then asked for their bank details. The hoax callers have also visited residents homes claiming to be bailiffs.

Please be aware

The district council will never ask for bank details over the phone. Nor will officers from the district council's tax team ever come to residents' property and ask for money.

However, there are occasions when the council sends bailiffs to collect overdue accounts but this will follow correspondence between the council and resident - and the bailiff will carry identification.

With elderly women being targeted, please encourage family, friends and neighbours to be aware of this risk.

Contact for help

We urge you to be vigilant and report any suspicions to your local council and get in contact with the police. If you are approached by anyone claiming to be from the council you can always check their identity by calling your local authority for confirmation.