LA County Officials Warn Homeowners To Beware Of People Claiming To Be Property Tax Collectors
ROWLAND HEIGHTS (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County officials are warning homeowners about people who are going door-to-door claiming to be property tax collectors.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the scam has already impacted at least one resident in the Rowland Heights area. The fake tax collector has been coming to homeowners doors and claiming that property taxes must be paid in person because the COVID-19 pandemic has closed county offices to the public.
"This scam is sophisticated but do not fall for it," Hahn said in a statement. "County officials are not going to any homes to collect property tax payments – in fact, the Treasurer Tax Collector Office is not accepting is not accepting any in-person payments at this time."
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector Keith Knox and County Assessor Jeffrey Prang said the fake tax collectors may even have fake identification and the tax bill for the homeowner in question. Knox said that his office does not conduct in-person visits, and while appraisers from the county assessor's office might sometimes visit homes to appraise the property, Prang said they never ask for tax payments.
"It's important to be cautious with anybody making unsolicited offers," Prang said in a statement. "This current activity is a scam and it's important to report it to the authors immediately."
If approached by someone claiming to be a property tax collector, the officials urged homeowners to get a detailed description of that individual and report it immediately to local law enforcement.