City firms warned of scammer 'demanding money'

Businesses have been warned of a scam involving a fake licensing officer "demanding" money.

Peterborough City Council said a fraudster had recently contacted firms directly and claimed their annual licensing fees were overdue.

One incident involved a man using a mobile number to insist "immediate payment" was required, despite the local authority only using landlines.

"Scammers will go to great lengths to exploit businesses, so we urge people to be vigilant and protect their establishments," said Labour councillor Alison Jones.

She said the licensing team would always send reminder letters for annual fees first, which contained a link to the council website.

"Any payment requests will come from a Peterborough landline number, not a mobile," she added.