A warning has been issued by East Lothian Council after a string of scam calls in the area.
Locals have been receiving calls offering assistance with challenging their council tax band, something the council says is in the hands of the Lothian Valuation Joint Board.
Supposedly, the caller will alert the victim that their council tax band has gone up before asking for thousands of pounds to challenge the increase on their behalf.
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In a tweet, East Lothian Council said: "We're aware of local residents receiving scam calls advising them that a company can challenge Council Tax bands on their behalf for a fee.
"The council is not responsible for setting Council Tax bands, it is the Lothian Valuation Joint Board who residents can contact for free."
On their website, the council added: "Each year scams cause between £5bn and £10bn worth of detriment to UK consumers. In addition to the financial impact, scams can have a severe emotional and psychological impact on victims.
"If you suspect that you are the target of a scam, or that someone you know is call Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000. You can report scams or suspected scams to Police Scotland by calling 101. You can pass on your knowledge - tell a friend, neighbour or relative about any scams you know of."
You can find more advice on scam calls here.
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