JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Attorney General’s Office is warning the public of a scam that uses official-looking letterhead from government agencies telling people that they have won cash prizes, but must first pay fees and taxes before they can collect.
According to Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, the letters are sent on official-looking letterhead allegedly from government agencies including the FBI, the IRS, the Department of Justice and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
Koster says that one of the letters claims that “due to the constitution and the legislation rights of the State of Missouri, the procedures require that 50 percent of the Revenue Tax should be submitted within 3-5 days of the actual notification date.” The letters include specific amounts the consumer should pay.
The letter falsely attributed to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office makes reference to a law that does not exist in Missouri, Koster said in a statement.
“These letters are fake, and we do not want any Missourians to fall for this scam,” Koster said in a statement. “We are warning Missourians not to send money to anyone who contacts you by mail or telephone without independently contacting the government agency to verify that the money is due.”
Koster said if consumers are ever in doubt as to whether a letter they receive is from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office or any other government agency they should contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 392-8222.