Mercer County Prosecutor: Beware of fake taxation notice scam

The latest scam in Mercer County is a letter being sent to residents and businesses made to look like it is from the county. The bogus letter is from a fake agency being called the “Tax Assessment Securities division of Mercer County.”

This is a fictitious name for a division that does not exist. This letter is not a notice from the Mercer County Board of Taxation.

The letter is an attempt to scam residents into paying a fake tax debt. The fraudulent notice has a bold heading claiming the notice is a “distraint warrant,” which is a document served by the sheriff that indicates the amount of overdue taxes one owes, the due date, and instructions prohibiting the removal or destruction of any property. The toll-free number listed on the letter is not a county number. It is a number operated by scammers who will try to convince you to pay the bogus debt over the phone.

Mercer County officials said the letter is an attempt to scare residents to respond. The letter claims to be a final judgmental notice and falsely claims that the recipient must call within 15 days of receiving the letter to avoid enforcement and additional penalties, fees, or interest.

Residents should not take any action and should not call the number listed on the notice.

Property owners with questions can contact the Mercer County Board of Taxation at (609) 989-6704, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or email botinquiry@mercercounty.org.