By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Livingston County residents should be on the lookout for a new scam where letter are being sent regarding overdue tax bills.

Deputy State Treasurer Ann Good reports in a release that there has been an uptick in reports from taxpayers receiving these letters over the past week. The Michigan Department of Treasury cautions on an aggressive scheme where residents are receiving a letter about an overdue tax bill, asking individuals to immediately contact a toll-free number to resolve it. The letter threatens to seize a taxpayer’s property including bank accounts, wages, business assets, cars, real estate, and cash if the debt is not settled. The correspondence may appear to be credible to the taxpayer because it uses specific personal facts pulled from publicly available information.

Authentic letters from the state Treasury Department will use state of Michigan letterhead that embodies both the names of the governor and state treasurer. These official letters are sent through the U.S. Postal Service and provide several options to resolve an outstanding debt and outline taxpayer rights. Taxpayers who receive a letter from a scammer or have questions about their state debts should call the Treasury Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265. A customer service representative can log the scam, verify any outstanding state debts, and provide flexible payment options.