Beware of New Tax Scams Targeting Idaho Residents
(KLIX) – At least a couple of Idaho residents recently received fraudulent tax information in the mail.
Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the Idaho State Tax Commission said a mailing sent to a resident in Middleton was from the “Benefits Suspension Unit” in Canyon County.
“No such unit exists,” according to a news release from Wasden’s office. “The mailer was labeled as a ‘Notice of Intent (to) Levy Social Security Benefits’ and threatened to garnish the recipient’s Social Security benefits, wages, bank accounts and federal tax refunds.
The mailer demanded payment of more than $9,600 by April 10. It included a working phone number that was answered by a man identifying himself as a representative of “the American Tax Group” as recently as April 11.
The other mailing, sent to a resident in Orofino, read it was from the “Bureau of Tax Enforcement Internal Processing Service” in Clearwater County but seems to have originated from Paramount, Calif. The news release said no such agency exists, but the mailing threatens to seize the individual’s property if payment arrangements aren’t made quickly.
“These mailings are particularly concerning because they show scammers are researching actual tax records and then tailoring their scam attempts specific to individuals,” Wasden said in the statement. “If there’s ever any reason to question the legitimacy of a tax document you receive in the mail, call tax officials – not on the numbers provided in the mailing – and check its authenticity. Be especially suspicious of anything that aggressively demands payment in a short amount of time.”