Food businesses in Exeter are being warned to be on their guard against a scam. A food business operator in the city had their email account hacked after they were contacted by an individual pretending to be from Exeter City Council.
Food businesses in Exeter are being warned to be on their guard against a scam.
A food business operator in the city had their email account hacked after they were contacted by an individual pretending to be from Exeter City Council.
The City Council has warned food businesses to contact its environmental health support team directly on 01392 265147 if they suspect a call isn’t genuine.
The food business was contacted by the scammer claiming to be an agency worker from Exeter City Council, offering to improve its food hygiene rating from a 4 to a 5.
The scammer falsely claimed that the rating could be improved simply by arranging a visit to the premises of the food business.
The caller used a spoof number to impersonate the City Council, so it appeared that they were calling from the Council’s main 01392 277888 number.
The scammer asked the food operator to confirm their email address and then gave them a date for a visit. The date wasn’t suitable, so the caller sent a code via a text message and asked the food operator to read out the code over the phone.
The food operator subsequently had their account hacked.
Exeter City Council said it would never call a business in this manner. Businesses can request a re-rating visit - for which a fee is payable - if they receive a rating below 5, if they have done the required work. “And we certainly don’t ask for codes to rearrange visits,” said a spokesman for the Council’s environmental health team.
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