Big Bear, CA – San Bernardino County Tax Collector Ensen Mason warns taxpayers of a recent scam to obtain financial information from property owners. The Tax Collector’s Office received several reports from taxpayers that an individual posing as a Tax Collector employee contacted them in person at their homes in San Bernardino on March 28 around 8:00 p.m. The individual claimed the Tax Collector was going to sell their home and offered to discuss their options as a lure to obtain financial information from them.
Each of the property owners contacted the Tax Collector’s Office the next morning and discovered their property was not eligible for tax sale and a Tax Collector employee had not been dispatched to their home. The public is encouraged to call their local police department if they encounter this impersonator.
“Taxpayers should stay vigilant when providing personal information,” Mason cautioned. “I recommend the public ask for identification when approached by individuals claiming to be an employee from a County department.” Taxpayers should keep the following information in mind to help protect themselves against fraud:
- Tax Collector employees will NOT contact homeowners after business hours.
- Tax Collector employees will NOT counsel taxpayers on financing or legal options.
- Tax Collector employees WILL have County identification.
Property owners can contact the Tax Collector’s Office at (909) 387-8308 or (760) 241-8829 with questions concerning tax sale status. A list of eligible parcels for the upcoming May 2019 tax sale is available online at www.MyTaxCollector.com.
