LANSING, Mich. — An aggressive scam is making the rounds according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
In the scheme taxpayers receive a letter about an overdue taxes. The letter asks individuals to immediately contact a toll-free number to resolve an outstanding state tax debt. The letter uses harsh wording and threats to seize a taxpayer’s assets if the supposed debt is not paid off.
“This is a tricky scam that has been reported throughout the state,” said Deputy State Treasurer Ann Good, who oversees Treasury’s Financial and Administrative Services programs. “Taxpayers have rights. If you have questions about an outstanding state tax debt, please contact us through a verified number so we can talk about options.”
The letters appear credible to the taxpayer because they use specific personal facts, but the information is actually pulled directly from publicly available records. The goal of the scam letter is to trick the taxpayer into paying the scammer.
In reality, while the state Treasury Department does correspond with taxpayers through official letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service, they provide several options to resolve outstanding debts as well as information outlining taxpayer rights.
Taxpayers who receive a letter that seems sketchy or have questions about their state debts should call Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265. It not only helps prevent the target of the scam from being tricked, but could help future targets as a customer service representative can log the scam, verify outstanding state debts and provide flexible payment options.
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