A caller purporting to be from the business rates department at Redbridge Council today tried to fraudulently claim £400 in outstanding bills from an Ilford retailer.

At 10am this morning, Nilesh Patel, of PJ & VP Patel, Ilford, received a call asking for accrued back payments to be made over the phone. The caller informed Patel he should have previously received a letter outlining the arrears.

“I had received no such letter, and so I asked for a bill to be sent to me. At which point the caller hung up,” said Patel.

Redbridge Council later confirmed the call did not come from them.

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