Trading Standards Officers in Blaenau Gwent are warning the public to be on their guard for a telephone scam in relation to the cost of living support payment.

The scammers claim to be associated with the council and explain a refund is due. They then ask for your bank details in order to pay out the £150 payment. People who have fallen victim to this scam state they have had large sums of money taken from their accounts following the call. There are also variations of this scam being seen via email and text message.

The council has made it clear that they WILL NOT call/text/e-mail for your bank details in relation to this payment. If you pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit you will not need to do anything and will receive a payment automatically into your bank account over the next week.

If you pay your Council Tax by any other method of payment, a letter containing a unique code will be sent, inviting you to register for the payment. You will need to complete a short registration form online to allow us to make payment to your bank account. You will not be able to complete the registration form until you have received your letter. Letters will start to be issued over the next week.

The council has advised people to keep their Council Tax demand notice safe as they will need it to register.