Bedford Borough Council is warning licensees to remain vigilant for scammers posing as licensing officers.
Reports have emerged of individuals posing as licensing officials and demanding immediate payment for licensing fees, often through suspicious methods such as bank transfers or cash payments via telephone calls.
These scams target licensed premises, including those selling alcohol or offering late-night refreshments, and exploit the trust of business owners. In some cases, scammers have used mobile phone numbers to contact licensees, claiming that their fees are overdue and threatening consequences if payments are not made promptly.
Bedford Borough Council emphasises that legitimate licensing officers will never request payments via bank transfer or cash. Payments should only be made through official, secure and verified channels, using the official council website. Bedford Borough Council will always send written confirmation when licence fees are due.
Licensees are urged to take the following precautions:
- Verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a licensing officer by requesting official identification.
- Avoid making payments through unverified methods or to unfamiliar accounts.
- Contact your licensing department at licensing@bedford.gov.uk to confirm the legitimacy of any payment requests.
Councillor Phillippa Martin-Moran-Bryant, Portfolio Holder for Housing & Regulatory Services said; “If you are in any doubt about whether a request for payment is legitimate, please do not hesitate to contact the Council.
“All our businesses should be free to operate without criminals looking to take advantage of them.”
Advice for business to avoid fraud and scams is available on the Bedfordshire Police website at https://www.beds.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/business-fraud/
Anyone who needs to report an incident should call 101.