Pennsylvania treasurer warns of new scam targeting residents; here’s what to look out for

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity is warning of a new scam targeting people across the state.

The scam involves false promises of a state grant and fraudulent requests to pay taxes using gift cards.

In the scam, residents will receive either a call, email or letter claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve Bank. The scammer will fraudulently advise the recipient that they will be awarded grant money but first must pay taxes. State officials said in at least one case, the recipient was told to make the payments with gift cards.

The Treasury Department says they do not announce grant awards or collect taxes. It added that the treasury will never request that a payment be made with a gift card and that neither will any other legitimate government agency.

“This is a vile and outrageous scam,” Treasurer Garrity said. “Fraudsters and scammers are despicable criminals who will stop at nothing to exploit innocent people to steal their hard-earned money. I urge everyone to stay vigilant and be extra suspicious of any communication that seems too good to be true.”

The treasury department said this scam appears to be multi-faceted.

In one case, an elderly resident from Indiana County received a phone call and was told he would receive a $25,500 grant from the state but had to pay thousands of dollars in taxes first using gift cards. He purchased the cards, called the scammer back and gave them the gift card information. The department said this happened multiple times.

Following multiple payments, the scammer followed up with a letter through email attempting to steal more money. The victim’s brother saw the letter and was able to step in.

The department said that a phone number included on the fraudulent letter leads to a voicemail box falsely indicating that the caller has reached an employee of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Those who believe they have been the victim of a scam or attempted scam should immediately report it to the Federal Trade Commission, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and their local law enforcement agency.

If you or anyone you know has received suspicious correspondence claiming to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, you are asked to contact the Treasury at https://www.patreasury.gov/contact/ or by calling 717-787-2465.

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