The scammers are once again plying their unsavory trade.

According to state officials, the scam goes like this: an official-looking letter arrives asking the recipient to immediately contact a toll-free number to resolve their outstanding state tax debt. The letter threatened to seize the taxpayer’s assets — including property, bank accounts and income — if the state tax debt isn’t settled.

The piece of correspondence, according to a state press release, appeared credible to the taxpayer because it used specific personal facts about their real outstanding tax debt that was taken directly from publicly available information. The scammer’s letter attempted to lure the taxpayer into a situation where they could make a payment to a criminal.

We join state officials in imploring residents in Superiorland and beyond to not fall for this scheme. Anyone who receives a letter from a scammer or have questions about their state debts can call Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265.