Residents are being warned to be careful of letters being supposedly sent by the Government’s Valuation Office Agency, asking for information on properties owned.

The alarm has been raised by a couple in Paulton, after a letter arrived, finding it strange that they do not own any rental properties. The letter says that the information will contribute to a database of private lets, with a fake envelope provided to return their details.

The letter uses current staff names and looks official, but is printed on the wrong paper and addresses provided do not match. The resident called the official Valuation Office Agency to find that it was a scam, having also received a call from the scammer. This is now being reported to the police.