Lake County, Indiana tax debt payment demand letters are fake

CHICAGO (CBS) — If you live in Lake County, Indiana, watch out for some letters in the mail demanding immediate tax debt payment from property or business owners.

The letters are fake.

The Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s office says the letters feature the heading “Distraint Warrant,” a technical legal term for a government agency’s power to ensure that delinquent taxes are paid.

The sender is listed as “Tax Resolution Unit, Lake County Public Judgment Records.”

The letters give a phone number to call if debtors want to avoid collection action, such as “garnishment of wages and bank accounts.”

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Civil Division ahs received some complaints from the recipients of the letters.

The office emphasizes that it has nothing to do with the letters – and in the past, such letters have been attempts by third-party companies to scare property owners and pressure them to pay a fee for tax debt resolutions services.

No one needs to pay a fee to a third party to resolve delinquent taxes in Lake County, Indiana, the Sheriff’s office said.

The Sheriff’s office advised anyone who receives a letter like this, and has questions about tax debts or liens they may have, to call the Lake County, Indiana Assessor’s office at (219) 755-3022. The office has also posted a list of the online services it provides.