Be on guard against a telephone scam offering council tax refunds.

The scammers are mostly targeting elderly residents, according to Elmbridge Council.

The council said it would only contact people about council tax overpayments in writing, and would never call out-of-the-blue for bank details.

Community Safety Partnership manager Peter Kipps said: “This is a repeat of the same scam we saw last year, we are also aware of similar incidents up and down the country.

“These criminals have been gathering information over long periods of time so they can often target their calls to certain age groups and even sometimes have other personal information such as a date of birth and your address, which gives the impression of credibility so it is easy to fall into their trap.

Before divulging information to callers, verify the person calling the council 01372 474474.

Call Surrey Police on 0845 1252222 if you think you have been a victim.