Don’t be fooled by scammers pretending to be tax collectors for the State of New Jersey. You should know that New Jersey relies primarily on the mail to make the first contact with individuals about unpaid taxes. In most cases, the tax collection process will escalate only if you do not respond appropriately to mailed notices. If you have not received a notice in the mail and someone calls or emails you saying you owe New Jersey taxes, there’s a good chance that a scammer has targeted you. You should be suspicious of anyone who contacts you who:
You can confirm the Division is trying to contact you by calling the main Customer Service Center phone number 609-292-6400, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays). Never give out or confirm financial or other sensitive information, including your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number, unless you know with whom you are dealing. See IRS Tax Scams for more information.
Note: Because unencrypted email is not secure, the Division of Taxation will never address specific tax matters via traditional email.
In addition, be aware of phishing, which occurs when someone sends you an email requesting personal information such as: :
Phishing emails may use the Division’s logo and phone numbers. In addition to requesting personal information, an email may direct you to a fake website that looks like ours and asks you to enter your personal information. Once your information is entered, it can be used to steal your identity.
Report phishing e-mail messages to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
Protect your personal information by practicing the following:
Although it is common for us to contact you through the mail, if you receive a letter that claims to be from us requesting personal information, it may be a scam. View our list of mailing addresses to determine if the notice you received is legitimate. Contact us if it seems suspicious.
