HALTON householders are being warned to be on their guard over a BT scam.

It follows a resident receiving a bogus call from a man who claimed to be from BT.com advising him of changes to his contract.

The man spoke in a strange unnatural voice which made the resident suspicious so he put the phone down.

The phone number the man was calling from was 0800 169160.

Trading Standards officers contacted BT which confirmed that it was a scam.

Halton Council has produced a telephone and mail prompt card that people can keep by the phone as a handy reminder to protect themselves against scammers.

Halton Cllr Dave Cargill, board member for trading standards, said: "Scammers are getting more clever so we have to be more aware of being tricked. This card serves as a reminder."

Printed A5 versions of the card are available at Halton Direct Links.

If you or somebody you know has been affected by scams call Trading Standards staff on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775.

They are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.

This service is only available to Halton residents who have been affected by scams.

If you need advice on anything else contact the citizens advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.