BANK fee overcharging is being used in a telephone scam to try to illicit personal bank information from Manning Valley residents.
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When Patti Hogan answered her telephone she says was greeted by a man who introduced himself as being from the federal government.
"He asked me if I was aware that banks had been overcharging its customers with various fees," Mrs Hogan said.
"I said yes, I did know there had been an issue with bank fees. He then said that I was owed $7500 and that he needed to verify my personal information.
"Initially he asked me if I was Patricia Hogan and then wanted to know if I wanted the money to be paid by EFT or cheque.
"I said that I would like it paid by cheque and then he asked me to write down some numbers."
Mrs Hogan said she then disconnected the call because she knew "something was just not right about it."
The man immediately called again and Mrs Hogan said the call had accidentally been disconnected.
"I told him that I had thought about his call and said that I had would like to cheque made out to a charity, that I had those details to hand and that is where I would like money to be sent.
"With that comment, the man hung up."
Mrs Hogan says she is concerned that other local people may be caught by the telephone scam.
"He was absolutely professional during our conversation but I know that is not the way the government would go about dealing with a matter like this," she said.
"I know how vulnerable some people can be and if so many people are caught by Nigerian phone scams then I could see how they could be caught by this."