Landlords warned over licence scam

Bogus council officials have claimed alcohol licences need renewing to get landlords to cough up the fee.

City of Lincoln Council’s Licensing Team has been made aware of a fee scam in which fraudsters have posed as council officials and have contacted alcohol licence holders claiming that their licence has expired and that a renewal payment is required.

The council is warning businesses about the scam and has stressed it does not request licence fee payments over the phone. All legitimate annual fee payment requests are issued through official invoices followed by written reminders. These communications include full details on how to contact the council to make payments safely and securely.

In the case of late payments or a change of address a licence holder may be contacted by phone but payment would not be requested or taken.

Ben Jackson, PPASB Licensing Manager, said: “We are urging all licence holders to remain vigilant and to be cautious of any unsolicited phone calls requesting payment. If you are ever unsure, please report any suspicious behaviour to the relevant organisation.”

Licence holders who receive suspicious calls should not provide any payment details or make any payments. Instead, they are urged to contact the City of Lincoln Council Licensing Team directly on 01522 873714 to verify the communication.