Published on 22 July 2022
West Wimmera Shire Council is urging residents to be wary of providing personal details over the phone after reports of scam calls in the area.
Council has learned that several residents in the region have received phone calls from someone claiming to represent West Wimmera Shire Council.
The callers asked residents to provide details for the purposes of a survey.
Council is not currently undertaking any phone-based surveys, and staff believe these calls are a scam.
Council Chief Executive Officer David Bezuidenhout said if in doubt, residents should hang up and contact Council through formal channels.
“Residents can call us on 13 99 72 or come into our customer service centres at Edenhope and Kaniva,” he said.
“Our customer service staff can verify the authenticity of the contact that was made before residents provide any personal details.
“If it turns out that it is not an authentic interaction, it helps us to be aware of the situation so that we can alert the community.”
Council does conduct an annual community satisfaction survey via phone each year, usually in February.
Council will always advertise when this survey is taking place through our newspapers, website, and social media.