The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office warns of a series of misleading letters threatening the recipient with forfeiture of assets or property.
The letters, authorities say, are meant to create a sense of urgency and include an 800 number that the person can call.
Authorities say letters from the Ventura County Treasurer and Collector’s Office will have a local address and local phone number.
In the last month alone, tax related scams have increased by 50%, imagine, which translates to approximately 142,000 attempted scams. Telemundo 52 Responde has investigated the details to take into account so as not to be a victim.
If you receive a misleading letter, you can call this office at (805) 654-3744 or email helphand@ventura.org.
For questions about your federal or state taxes, they recommend contacting the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or your tax professional.
“Unsolicited materials received in the mail are often marketing materials designed in a deceptive manner to make the owner concerned and call the number listed in the mail,” said Senior Assistant District Attorney Dominic Kardum.
The District Attorney’s Office also advises taxpayers to be aware of other ways scammers use to obtain information or money from their victims. These mechanisms include text messages, emails and phone calls.
They advise being alert to one of these tactics:
- They pretend to be government officials or legitimate companies.
- They create a sense of urgency to get victims to react quickly.
- They require immediate payment and with prepaid cards.
- They ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- They threaten to be arrested if immediate payment is not made.
To file a consumer fraud complaint, in Ventura County, Click here.