CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County officials are warning homeowners to be on the lookout for possible scam letters pretending to be from the Mecklenburg County Assessor's Office demanding they pay thousands of dollars for a so-called "clearance fee."
More than 400,000 Mecklenburg County property owners were mailed legitimate revaluation notices from the County Assessor's office in March, but the county said at least one homeowner opened their mailbox to find a fake letter sent by scammers.
The fraudulent letter was printed on what appears to be official letterhead, posing as the County Assessor's Office demanding money from the property owner.
According to a statement from the county's public information department, the fraudulent letter claimed the property owner was the next of kin of a person who had died. It ordered the recipient to pay a $5,000 "clearance fee," and gave them two weeks to vacate their property.
Mecklenburg County said no official agency would mail a letter like this to a property owner.
The county encourages homeowners who receive any similar letters to call 980-314-4226 or email AssessorQuestions@MeckNC.gov.
Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of a scam:
Emotional appeal - Any pitch that ratchets up your emotion will inhibit your rational judgment.
Sense of urgency - You MUST act now, or else.
Request for unorthodox payment - Gift cards, prepaid credit cards, wire transfers, etc.
Explanations that don't ring true - If your new “landlord” can’t show you the inside of the house, that could be because they don’t own it.
You won, now pay up - It’s not a prize if you have to pay for it. Taxes, fees, shipping, whatever.
Too good to be true - That’s because it’s not true. Sorry, your long-lost relative didn’t die, leaving you millions. That car you bought online for a third of its Kelly Blue Book value doesn’t really exist. The son of a billionaire diamond broker didn’t “swipe right” on you and fall instantly in love. That work-at-home job paying you hundreds of dollars an hour for stuffing envelopes isn’t real.