Pa. Department of Revenue warns small business owners about scammers

PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is warning business owners about scammers who are targeting small businesses.

The scammers are sending letters with an official-looking Department of Revenue logo to the businesses.

But it’s all a fraud.

“The goal of this scam is to make the recipient of the letter believe that they are being investigated by our department for an alleged violation of delinquent sales tax liability,” Department of Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said.

In the letter, the scammer asks the the business owner for their 2019-2020 accounting records plus yearly profit statements.

According to a spokesperson with the Better Business Bureau, if a business hands that information over, it could be detrimental.

“They’re giving them access to bank account numbers (and) other financial data that could enable the scammer to make an unauthorized transaction,” Better Business Bureau spokesperson Caitlin Driscoll said. Driscoll added that scammers may “even do things like apply for Roland and request fraudulent tax refunds.”

Officials are telling business owners not to be fooled by the official-looking logos on the top of the letter.

“Scammers are getting good at really impersonating correspondences that come from different agencies. If someone receives this letter, it’s really important to not panic, to do some due diligence,” Driscoll added.

If you receive a letter, officials say to contact the Department of Revenue immediately.

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