Trading standards scam letter warning

The letter, which features the council’s logo and crest, demands part payment for a fibre optic line allegedly needed by a neighbour to enable home working from a computer.

It claims that the addressee is liable for part of the bill with the rest to be paid by the council and the employer of the unnamed neighbour. The author says that the work will take place in November and will involve digging at the front of the addressee’s property.

The recipient is told to pay a specific sum to Derbyshire County Council by bank transfer, credit card or cheque.

But Cllr Dave Allen, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: “This letter isn’t from us and we’re not in the business of commissioning telecommunications work for private companies and their employees.

“There’s no way we’d ask a householder to pay for something that inconvenienced them, disrupted their property and was of no benefit to them.”

Anyone who receives a suspicious letter in the name of Derbyshire County Council should call Derbyshire First on 08456 058 058 and should never use the contact details in the letter.