The Maryland Judiciary has issued a warning to the public regarding a mail scam that threatens residents with the seizure of their bank accounts. The fraudulent letter instructs recipients to contact a private company to settle alleged tax debts. This scam has been identified in Anne Arundel and Queen Anne counties, but it may also be occurring in other areas.
The letter claims to address a state tax lien, which is public information, and urges immediate action by calling a specified phone number to prevent the seizure of bank accounts, property, and other assets. The return address misleadingly reads "Anne Arundel County Court House," although the postmark is from Denver. Importantly, the phone number provided does not belong to any court or government office.
"The letter looks like it comes from us and we are going to seize their bank accounts, which is not true," stated Scott Poyer, Clerk of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. He further clarified that "it also uses the word 'warrant' in several places, but there is no warrant."
This issue has been reported to both the Office of the Maryland Comptroller and the Criminal Investigations Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General for further investigation.
Residents who have concerns about similar scams are encouraged to reach out to the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division at 410-528-8662 or toll-free at 888-743-0023.