State treasurer warns of phone tax scam

State Treasurer Eric Schmitt issued a tax scam alert Oct. 15, 2018, warning Missouri residents about a new telephone scam.
State Treasurer Eric Schmitt issued a tax scam alert Oct. 15, 2018, warning Missouri residents about a new telephone scam.

State Treasurer Eric Schmitt has issued a tax scam alert warning Missouri residents about a new telephone scam, according to a news release from the Missouri State Treasurer's Office.

The State Treasurer's Office recently received a call from a citizen after she was contacted by would-be scammers. She said she had received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Department of Revenue telling her she owed over $1,000, according to the news release. The caller attempted to get her to pay over the phone with a credit card. After she declined, they told her to send a certified check to the Department of Treasury at a post office box in St. Louis.

The scammers use a fake caller ID featuring a phone number that belongs to the Missouri State Treasurer's Office. Citizens should not provide any personal information to these callers. The Department of Revenue will always contact citizens via mail regarding any tax-related issue.

"I want all Missourians to know my office is not responsible for collecting taxes and will never call demanding payment," Schmitt said in the news release. "Anyone who receives such a call should report it to the proper authorities immediately."

Anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be from the Missouri State Treasurer's Office asking for a tax payment should hang up and contact the Missouri Attorney General's office at 866-289-9633 and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General at 800-366-4484. Victims also may report fraudulent phone calls to any FBI field office.