Michigan taxpayers with past-due tax debts should be aware of a new scam making the rounds through the U.S. Postal Service, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
In the scheme, taxpayers are sent what appears to be a government-looking letter about an overdue tax bill, asking the taxpayer to immediately call a toll-free number to resolve a tax debt or face asset seizure. The correspondence appears credible to the taxpayer because it uses specific personal facts about the outstanding tax debt pulled directly from publicly available information. The scammer’s letter attempts to lure the taxpayer into a situation where they could make a payment to a criminal.
Taxpayers who receive a letter from a scammer or have questions about their state debts should call Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 1-866-218-7224. A customer service representative can log the scam, verify outstanding state debts and provide flexible payment options. To learn more about Michigan’s taxes and the collections process, go to www.michigan.gov/taxes or follow the state Treasury Department on Twitter at @MITreasury.