Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office seeing ‘significant’ increase in tax and jury duty scams

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo are advising Somerset County residents of a significant increase in the number of mail and telephone scams targeting our community.

More specifically, Somerset County has seen an increase in what scammers refer to as a Distraint Warrant tax scam. In this scam, residents receive a “Distraint Warrant” letter sent via US Mail from a fraudulent “Tax Processing Unit”. The letter advises the resident of an unpaid tax debt that needs to be paid by calling a phone number provided before interest is accrued or levying procedures begin. Although the notices look real, they are not.

Somerset County has also seen a recent increase in Jury Duty scams. Victims are contacted via phone by an individual identifying themselves as a “Jury Duty Manager” informing them they have missed their jury duty obligation and are now being fined or threatened with arrest. The caller may ask the victim for personal information, such as a social security number and bank account information to pay the fines.

Prosecutor McDonald wants to remind residents of Somerset County to protect yourselves against these mail and telephone scams by alerting residents to key red flags that may indicate a scam. Here are some details to watch for to protect yourself against falling victim to these scams.

Distraint Warrant Tax Scam

If you receive a Distraint Warrant notice in the mail stating that you owe a balance, due to unpaid taxes to the State of New Jersey, do not call the number listed on the notice, instead call your county’s tax department to verify if you have any financial obligations. Please note the following:

• Somerset County does not have a “Tax Processing Unit”, “Tax Assessment Security Unit” or a “Tax Group Seizure Unit” as stated on many of these fraudulent notices.
• A legitimate correspondence from the New Jersey Division of Taxation or the Somerset County Tax Board will include contact information and a complete return mailing address to allow you to respond by mail, phone or online.
• The New Jersey Division of Taxation does not use the term “distraint” and a legitimate notice will always provide the recipient with the NJ Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
• Somerset County will not accept payment via electronic apps such as CashApp, Zelle or gift cards, the requested form of payment for many of these scams.
• If the contact person is asking for personal information such as a social security number or bank account numbers, NEVER provide any personal information without first verifying that the notice is legitimate.

If you are a Somerset County resident and you received a suspicious communication regarding your taxes or a tax debt, please do not call the number listed in the letter, instead contact the Somerset County Tax Board at 908-541-7501 to confirm the legitimacy of the mailing you received.

Additional information concerning Distraint Warrant Tax Scam scan be found at www.nj.gov.

Jury Duty Scams

There has been a recent increase in Somerset County identity theft scams where scammers pose as Jury Duty Managers asking “jurors” for personal information and informing the victims that they have missed their jury duty obligation and are being fined or threatened with arrest.

If you receive a call from a person identifying themselves as a Jury Duty manager, please note the following:

• The New Jersey Judiciary does not contact people by phone, e-mail or by sending representatives to their respective homes.
• The New Jersey Judiciary does not make follow-up calls or send emails to jurors.
• The Judiciary will NEVER ask you for personal information or payment for fines for not attending jury duty over the phone or via email.

If you are a Somerset County resident and you received suspicious communications concerning jury duty, disconnect and call or email the Somerset County Jury Manager at Somjurymbx@njcourts.gov or 908-332-7700 ext. 13025 to verify.

Additional information concerning recent Jury Duty Scams can be found www.njcourts.gov.

“Be vigilant in protecting themselves when it comes to these recent scams. Remember to look for red flag indicators of a possible scam to avoid falling victim to these scammers. If you receive a communication that appears suspicious, take the time to verify the origin of the communication before providing any personal information or payment in response. If you feel that you have been a victim of a Distraint Warrant tax scam or a jury duty scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance,” McDonald said.