CONSUMERS and businesses in Caerphilly county borough are being warned to be on their guard when being asked for personal information.

The warning comes from Caerphilly council’s Trading Standards after childminders in the Caerphilly area were targeted in a phishing e-mail scam.

Phishing e-mails look like they have been sent from an authentic source, but are actually used by scam artists to get personal information such as bank or credit card details, or your computer username or password.

Such emails could also contain links to websites that are infected with viruses or computer malware. The emails are often written in very poor English, and are vague about the services they require.

In this most recent case, the conversation would have led to the scammers asking for bank account or credit card details.

Cllr David Poole, the council’s cabinet member for community and leisure services, said: “Consumers and businesses need to be extra vigilant to avoid being duped by one of these scams. Remember the golden rule – never give bank or personal details to anyone you do not know or trust.”

If you would like to report an issue for the Trading Standards to investigate, contact 01495 235291 or email tradingstandards@caerphilly.gov.uk.