RESIDENTS in the Test Valley are being warned of a telephone scam.

It has been reported that residents have been receiving phone calls from people claiming to be from Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC).

The authority said the people on the phone have been telling residents there had been a computer error and residents were due a refund on their council tax.

On twitter Test Valley Borough Council said: "This is not TVBC. Residents are being asked for their name and address for a cheque to be sent. This is then followed up by a phone call claiming to be from the residents’ bank and they will ask the resident to confirm their banking details.We would like to remind residents to not hand over any personal information to any incoming calls. Always contact your bank directly if you are concerned."

Residents are also advised to stop and think if they receive any of the following requests:

-Requests to move money: A genuine bank or organisation will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or to move money to another account. Only give out your personal or financial details to use a service that you have given your consent to, that you trust and that you are expecting to be contacted by.

-Clicking on links/files: Don’t be tricked into giving a fraudster access to your personal or financial details. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.

-Personal information: Always question uninvited approaches in case it’s a scam. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.

For more information on keeping personal information safe residents are also asked to visit takefive-stopfraud.org.uk.