Gotten suspicious mail? Idaho officials warn residents of scam targeting taxpayers
State officials are warning residents to be on the alert for a scam that’s targeting taxpayers in Idaho.
Residents have reported receiving fraudulent letters that claimed Idaho officials will seize residents’ property and withdraw funds from their wages for unpaid taxes, according to a news release from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and State Tax Commission.
The letters claim to come from the “Tax Processing Center” or “Tax Processing Unit” and are designed to resemble official government notices. The letters may also include a reference to the “Public Judgment Records,” fake filing numbers and misspellings of the taxpayer’s name.
“The letters are the latest iteration of a recurring scam meant to intimidate and steal money from unsuspecting victims,” according to the release.
A state representative had called the scammers and spoke to a man who said he was with “lien recovery,” according to the attorney general’s office. After the representative told the man the letter had been sent to her personally, and asked for the company’s name, the man hung up.
“Actual government agencies don’t hide who they are or hang up on you when questioned,” Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said in the news release.
The Attorney General’s Office offers the following tips to avoid scams:
- Look for factual errors, misspellings and incorrect information;
- Research the notice’s phone numbers, addresses and names online, as “it’s a good bet that someone already has identified this scam.”
- Contact government agencies directly, instead of using the numbers on the notice.
- Don’t pay debts with a gift card, a debit card that can be reloaded or wire service, as “government agencies will never ask you to pay a debt using these unusual methods.”
Residents can contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-432-3545 or through the online contact form. They can also contact the Idaho State Tax Commission at 208-332-4060 or submit a fraud referral online.
