Automated robocall impersonating council housing repair services harvests personal data
Impersonating: Housing / Local Council (impersonation)
What is this scam?
Which? flagged a new automated phone scam in June 2026 in which recipients receive a robocall claiming to be from a housing repair or maintenance service, potentially impersonating their local council or housing association. The automated message attempts to extract personal details such as name, address, and date of birth, supposedly to schedule a home visit or confirm eligibility for a funded repair. No legitimate council or housing association uses automated cold-calls to solicit personal details about repair appointments.
Example scam message
Automated call: 'Hello. This is an important message regarding scheduled housing repair and maintenance work in your area. Our records show your property may be eligible for a free survey funded by your local council. Press 1 now to confirm your address details and arrange your inspection appointment.' [Pressing 1 connects you to a fraudster who harvests your personal information — no official repair scheme is associated with this call]
Red flags to look out for
- The message creates urgency — threatening a fine, missed delivery, or account closure.
- Links lead to unofficial domains that don't match the real company's website.
- You weren't expecting this message and can't verify the event it references.
- It asks you to confirm payment details or personal information via a link.
- The sender's number or email address doesn't match the company's official contact.
What to do if you receive this
- Do not click links or call numbers provided in the message.
- Contact the organisation directly using details from their official GOV.UK page.
- Forward the message to 7726 or email report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.
Received this message?
Forward it to 7726 (free on all UK networks) to report it to your mobile provider.
You can also report it to Action Fraud
or email the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk.
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