❗ NJ is alerting about possible ANCHOR scams

❗ More than $2.2 billion in benefits will be paid out

❗ Scammers are already trying to grab your cash

New Jersey will pay out over $2.2 billion in benefits to homeowners and renters this year under the ANCHOR property tax rebate program.

Scammers are already trying to get their hands on that money.

Officials within the New Jersey Treasury Department are sending out an urgent alert for residents to be aware of these attempts.

Texting scams are among the most common.

"The New Jersey Division of Taxation will not initiate a text exchange to request personally identifiable information regarding your ANCHOR benefit, or your income tax filing," reads a notice on the Taxation website.

"We urge you to contact us directly before providing any sensitive personal information in response to received communications claiming to be related to the ANCHOR program."

Townsquare Media illustration

As we saw during the last years ANCHOR distribution and as the government sent out stimulus payments during the pandemic, a disturbing number of people fell victim to these scams.

What is the ANCHOR program?

The program was initiated to provide property tax relief to New Jersey homeowners and renters.

Payment distribution of ANCHOR benefits will begin on Oct. 1.

If you owned or rented a primary residence and earned $250,000 or less you may be are eligible for ANCHOR benefits.

Homeowners who were under the age of 65 and brought in $150,000 or less in gross income should receive $1,500. The payment goes down to $1,000 for 64-and-younger homeowners that brought in between $150,001 and $250,000.

Homeowners who were at least 65 years old in 2021 are scheduled to receive $1,750, if their gross income was $150,000 or less. The payment is $1,250 for older residents who made between $150,001 and $250,000.

The majority of renters will receive $450. Renters that are at least 65 years old and earn $150,000 or less per year will receive an additional $250.

What are the most common ANCHOR scams?

According to the New Jersey Division of Taxation, these are the most common scams targeting ANCHOR benefits:

Phone Scams:

Phone scams can involve a caller who claims to be a New Jersey tax official.

Callers can falsify information to your caller ID, called cloning or spoofing, to hide their identity and trick you into giving away personal information. New Jersey will never call you from the Customer Service Center number: 609-292-6400.

An incoming call from this number is most definitely a scam attempt.

If you do get a call from a collection agency about New Jersey taxes, you can call our the state's contracted recovery agency, Pioneer Credit Recovery, at 1-866-372-6840 to confirm that the call was legitimate.

There are times when a Division employee will contact a taxpayer regarding tax payment via telephone. However, before the call we will send written notification, which can be verified by an agent in our Customer Service Center at 609-292-6400.

Perpetrators also have been known to impersonate police officers who demand payment to satisfy a debt.

If you are not sure the person on the other end of the line is a Division of Taxation employee or a collection agency representative, hang up.

Email and text phishing scams:

Phishing occurs when you receive an email or text message asking for personal and sensitive information. Examples of sensitive information include: Social Security number, user name, password, credit card or bank account information.

Phishing emails may use an official state logo and phone numbers. An email or text may direct you to a fake website that looks real and asks you to enter your personal information. Once your information is entered, it can be used to steal your identity.

Take these steps to protect your personal information:

✔ Do not click on a link in a suspicious email
✔ Be watchful of any communication that appears suspicious from a business, school, ✔ IRS, Division of Taxation, or any other government entity
✔ Practice safe browsing. Open a new browser window each time you log on to a website involving personal information. Log out and close browsers when you are done.

Snail mail scams:

Taxpayers with past-due tax debts to be on the alert for scam letters making the rounds through the U.S. Postal Service.

In this scam, taxpayers receive a letter about an overdue New Jersey tax debt that demands the taxpayer call a toll-free number to resolve the outstanding balance. The letter aggressively threatens to seize property – including bank accounts, wages, business assets, cars, real estate, refunds, and cash – if the debt is not paid.

The correspondence may appear credible because it uses personal facts and information pulled directly from the internet and public records. The scammer’s letter tries to scare you into revealing personal financial information or paying a phony tax debt.

If you receive a letter that claims to be from the Division of Taxation requesting personal and sensitive information, or an unexpected check, it may not be legitimate.

Contact the New Jersey Division of Taxation if it seems suspicious.

You can reach the New Jersey Division of Taxation Customer Service Center at 609-292-6400.