A warning has been issued by police about a new approach being taken by phone scammers, this time involving council tax.

Dyfed Powys Police have warned that fraudsters are now phoning victims to let them know they have been placed in the wrong council tax bracket for a number of years and they are entitled to a rebate.

The callers normally say this rebate should be worth £7,000.

Once the victim is convinced, the fraudster tells them that in order to receive the rebate they will need to pay an administration fee in advance; the payment they ask for varies between £60-350.

The victim provides the details and makes the payment, but then is no longer able to make contact with the person they spoke to on the phone.

When they phone their council about the rebate and the fact that they are in the wrong tax bracket, the council will confirm that they know nothing about it and that they have been contacted by fraudsters.

DI Anthony Evans, of Dyfed Powys Police’s Financial Crime Team, said: “The fraudsters have been targeting over 60s and it is likely the scam will spread across the UK.

“We have a large older population in Dyfed Powys making it important that they, their families and careers are aware of the dangers of such scams and provide them with the advice and support they need to avoid being scammed.

“Other scams to be aware of often come from people purporting to be police officers, bank workers or phone and internet providers.”

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has received 16 reports of this particular scam since July.