Wrexham Council warns licence holders there to be aware of premises licence “smishing”* scams asking for money to update their licences.

Writing on its website, the council explained that the scam starts with a call or text message from 07799 913580 and the sender claims his name is Matthew O’Donnel who asked the trader to pay £242.30 into a personal account held by a Joshua Mannering.

"Fortunately the trader was savvy enough to check the details out with our licensing officer who confirmed he had not been in touch and it was likely a scam."

Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Planning and Public Protection said:

“This is worrying for local traders in Wrexham and our advice is to always check with the licensing department before making any payment. They will never make unsolicited calls or texts asking for payment.

"Scammers are becoming increasingly aware of how to scam people so it’s important to stay up to date with what’s going on by checking with Action Fraud.

“If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, you should report this to Action Fraud via their website or by calling 0300 123 2040.”

The Licensing Department can be contacted by email at licensingservice@wrexham.gov.uk for all enquiries about premises licences.

What is Smishing?

Smishing is the fraudulent practice of sending text messages claiming to be from reputable companies in order to gain personal information such as passwords or bank card numbers which will no doubt lead to stealing your hard earned cash.