GREENSBORO, N.C. — A letter is being mailed out claiming you owe taxes. The letter says 'Your Property May Be Seized' and that this is the "Final Demand For Payment'.
"That's the language that scammers use to try and scare you into paying without you doing some due diligence on your part. Scammers try to make it hard to find out what agency you need to reach out to, they throw in a couple of legit-sounding agencies so you are confused about who you might owe the debt to," said Lechelle Yates of the Better Business Bureau.
In the case of this letter, agency names like 'Tax Processing Unit', 'Internal Processing Service', and 'Guilford County Public Judgement Records' are used. None of these agencies exist.
You never want to call the number given in a letter like this. Instead, look up the number to the IRS, your County Tax Department, or the State Department of Revenue. If you owe taxes, they'll know. In this instance, Eric, who got the letter and lives in Greensboro, called the Better Business Bureau for help.
"I didn't want to assume it was real until I checked with someone because it didn't make sense. I think it's important for people to know it's just not them," said Eric Stewart, a Greensboro resident who got the letter.
When you get a weird letter, text, or call, don't keep it to yourself thinking you did something wrong or you're in trouble. Talk to someone about it. That conversation can prevent you from becoming a victim.
Something else that prevents you from becoming a victim, is the WFMY News 2 Shred-A-Thon. Bring your personal documents and paperwork and have them shredded for free. It's a great way to protect you from identity theft.