Tha an sgioba inbhean malairt aig Comhairle Earra-ghàidheal is Bhòid air fios fhaighinn mu cleas-mheallaidh cìs chomhairle a’ dh’fhaodadh a’ tachairt anns an sgìre.

Fhuair neach den phoball air an Tairbeart fios air am fòn bho chuideigin ag radh gun robh iad a’ riochdachadh na comhairle ag ìnnse dhaibh gun robh iad airidh air lasachadh cìs chomhairle suas ri £7,000 leis gun robh am bann cìse aca air atharrachadh, ach gum feumadh iad £67 a’ phàigheadh gus seo a’ choileanadh.

Cha do phàigh an neach an t-airgead agus chuir iad fios chun an sgioba inbhean malairt againn gus ìnnse dhaibh mun dol a-mach seo.

Nam biodh luchd-pàighidh a’ chìs chomhairle airidh air airgead fhaighinn air ais, gheibheadh iad litir bhon a chomhairle ag ìnnse dhaibh mu lasachadh sam bith. Tha ath-dhìolaidhean air am pàigheadh fad na h-ùine gu cunntas sam bith far an deach cus airgead a’ phàigheadh, gun feum aig neach sam bith a bhith a’ cuir fios a’ sireadh an airgid.

Tha togalaichean air am measadh a thaobh bann cìse le Bòrd Luachaidh Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatunn is Earra-ghàidheal is Bhòid agus chan fhaod bann atharrachadh as aonais measadh a bhith air a’ dhèanamh as leth a Bhùird seo. ‘S ann ainneamh a thachras atharrachadh ann am bannan-cìse agus air an àbhaist thachradh seo as dèidh do neach a tha air togalach ùr cheannach, fios a chuir chun an neach-measaidh a’ ceasnachadh am bann cìse: cha thachradh atharrachadh sam bith gun rabhadh.

Thuirt an Comhairliche, Daibhidh Kinniburgh, Ceannard air Poileasaidh airson Planadh is Seirbheisean Riaghlaidh, mun a dol a-mach seo: “Cha chuireadh a chomhairle, aig àm sam bith, fios gu daoine thairis air am fòn mu lasachadh anns a chìs chomhairle. A cheist is cudthromaiche a bu chòrr do dhaoine foighneachd mu na tairgsean seo, ‘s e: “A bheil thu a’ faireachdainn comhfhurtail gu leòr a’ toirt seachad fiosrachadh ionmhasail is pearsanta gu cuideign air nach eil thu eòlach agus a tha air fios a chuir thugad gun rabhadh?” Mar is àbhaist, ma tha coltas ro phrìseil air tairgse, chan eil dath na fìrinn ann. A chomhairle a bheireadh sinne do dhaoine ann an Earra-ghàidheal is Bhòid, an dol a-mach seo a’ sheachnadh agus fios a chuir gu Seirbheis Cleachdaidh Biùro Comhairleachaidh a’ Phobaill”.

Bu chòrr neach sam bith a th’air fios fhaighinn mun sgeama seo no sgeama sam bith eile dhe leithid, a tha iad den bheachd nach eil fìor, fios a chuir gu Seirbheis Cleachdaidh Biùro Comhearlachaidh a’ Phobaill air 0345 404 0506. Thèid am fiosrachadh an uairsin gu oifigearan inbhean malairt ionadail a nì sgrùdadh air taobh eucoir sam bith.

Argyll and Bute Council’s trading standards team has been made aware of a potential council tax scam operating in the area.

A member of the public in Tarbert received a phone call from someone claiming to be a representative of the council advising them that they were eligible for a council tax rebate of up to £7,000 because their council tax band had changed, but that they would have to pay a fee of £67 for it to be processed.

The member of the public did not pay the fee and contacted our trading standards team to make them aware of this potential scam.

If council tax payers were entitled to a refund the council would write to them informing them of any rebate. Refunds are issued on an ongoing basis to any account which becomes overpaid without them having to be requested.

Properties are assessed for council tax banding by the Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute Valuation Joint Board and can only be changed following an assessment on behalf of that board. Council tax banding changes are relatively rare and would usually only occur if the new owner of a property had contacted the assessor to query their council tax band; they would not happen out of the blue, as claimed by this scam.

Councillor David Kinniburgh, Policy Lead for Planning and Regulatory Services, said of this scam: ‘’The council would never contact people over the phone in this way regarding a council tax rebate. The most important question people should ask themselves about unsolicited offers of this type is: ‘Do you feel happy about sharing your financial and personal details with someone you don’t know that has contacted you out of the blue?’ As always, if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. We would advise Argyll and Bute consumers to ignore calls like this and to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.’’

If any members of the public have been contacted about this or any other scheme which they feel is not genuine they should phone the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0345 404 0506. The details will then be passed to local trading standards officers who will investigate any criminal aspect of the complaint.