Pennsylvania Treasurer warns residents of new scam | WTAJ

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — A new scam is targeting Pennsylvanians and the state treasurer is warning residents to be on the lookout.

The “vile and outrageous” scam, Treasurer Stacy Garrity called it, involves false promises of a state grant and fraudulent requests to pay taxes on it using gift cards.

Residents will receive a call, email, or letter that claims to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve Bank. They’ll be told that they’ll be awarded grant money, but they have to pay the taxes first. In at least one case, the person was told to make the supposed tax payments with gift cards.

“This is a vile and outrageous scam,” Treasurer Garrity said. “Fraudsters and scammers are despicable criminals who will stop at nothing to exploit innocent people to steal their hard-earned money. I urge everyone to stay vigilant and be extra suspicious of any communication that seems too good to be true.”

Residents are reminded that the treasury does not announce grant awards, nor do they collect taxes.

Exactly ZERO legitimate government agencies will request payment with a gift card.

In one case, an older Pennsylvanian in Indiana County was targeted and contacted by phone about a $25,500 grant from the state, but he had to pay thousands of dollars for taxes, using gift cards. This happened multiple times, according to a release from the Treasury.

After getting multiple payments from the person, the scammer(s) then sent a letter, claiming to be an employee at the Federal Reserve Bank. The Treasury said their brother saw the letter and stepped in to prevent any more losses.

Those who believe they have been the victim of a scam or attempted scam should immediately report it to the Federal Trade Commission, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and their local law enforcement agency.

If you or anyone you know has received suspicious correspondence claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, please contact the Treasury at https://www.patreasury.gov/contact/ or by calling 717-787-2465.

Attorney General Michelle Henry recently warned of popular scams to help prevent Pennsylvanians from falling prey to scammers perpetrating common holiday scams, including email and text phishing, delivery stealing, online marketplace deals, and more.