Property-tax phone scam
The taxman may cometh, but he does not call. Scammers are hoping some Baltimore County residents don't know that.
The county police department is hearing from senior citizens that they're getting calls claiming their property taxes are overdue and demanding the money immediately. "In at least one case the senior citizen was asked for banking information (account and routing numbers)," the police said in a statement.
It should be needless to say, but just for the record: Don't give that information out to anyone calling you out of the blue, let alone supposed property-tax collectors.
Turn the tables on them -- ask for the caller's name and a callback number. "Remember, the phone number could be linked to a fraudulent location," the police say.
I've heard of scammers calling people about supposedly missed jury duty, but this is a new one on me.
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Comments
My Dad has alzheimer's and he just turned 89. Sadly, he became a target for all sorts of scammers in the past few years with folks making up stories that he owed them money based on some bogus claim.
I hope there's a special spot reserved in HELL for bastards.
Posted by: smithbaltimore | October 22, 2010 11:48 AM
Scams like this one have been going on for a long time and the reason why they haven't disappeared is that many people still fall prey to their tricks. Be careful about property scams; if you get a call like this one, report it to the police immediately.
Posted by: Property Hanoi | October 26, 2010 11:39 PM
I recently moved to Atlanta from Baltimore and we have the same thing going on around town. I wish people would devote their illegal energies to something productive. Grrrhh. I agree with the "special place in hell" comment above.
Posted by: Title Insurance Cost | November 21, 2010 12:08 PM