Snohomish County Treasurer warns public of tax debt scam

Snohomish County Treasurer Brian Sullivan is warning local taxpayers about a phony tax debt scam making the rounds.

According to Sullivan, the scam involves a letter claiming to be from the Snohomish County “Tax Resolution Unit” and threatens garnishment, property seizure or a lien on the property if fraudulent fees aren’t paid immediately.

“Concerned residents brought these letters to our attention and we soon learned that it contained official-looking features identical to similar scams circulating in other jurisdictions,” Sullivan said in a press release Monday. “Envelopes appear to be postmarked from Sacramento, California, contain a return address that includes a Tax Processing Unit “Public Judgment Records” department, and have the local county name poorly inserted. It should be noted that these department names do not exist in Snohomish County.

The fake notice also directs the taxpayer to call a toll free (800) number “to avoid enforcement” and references federal tax liens. Legitimate Snohomish County Treasurer communications typically contain the official seal of the treasurer and a local return address, the press release said. In addition, the Snohomish County Treasurer does not collect or enforce federal taxes.

If you receive a notice that causes you concern, contact Contact.Treasurer@co.snohomish.wa.us, or call 425-388-3366.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.

By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.