Trading Standards officers at Pembrokeshire County Council are advising residents to exercise caution following several reports of an attempted scam.

The reports relate to automated phone messages received by consumers, advising them that an unauthorised £600 payment has been deducted from their Visa credit card accounts.

The message advises the consumer to press 1 if this payment had not been authorised. These calls are often either from withheld numbers or use a range of other numbers.

Householders are being warned that this bears all the hallmarks of being a scam. Similar incidents have been reported whereby if you press one as requested, or try to call the fraudsters back you may be charged for a premium rate call.

Report have also been received relating to suspicious emails purporting to offer Council Tax refunds. Again, these are likely to be a scam. The Council will never ask for bank details to process a refund.

REMEMBER

• Be suspicious of all unsolicited calls or emails. Do not click on any links or download any attachments in any email you aren’t expecting.

• Never, ever give out PINs or passwords or your bank account details – your Bank or credit card company will never ask you for your 3 digit pin on the back of the card.

• Be cautious with calling back: wait before calling or use a different phone, e.g. a mobile, and use a number that you know belongs to the Bank or credit card company. If you think you may have been a victim, contact your Bank as soon as possible. They will check your account and take action if necessary.

For further advice on this or any other scams, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 040 506 / 03454 040505 (for Welsh speakers).