New Scam Targets Missourians Through the Mail

The IRS, the state Attorney General or even the FBI says you get free money -- at least according to a new scam that's going through the mail in Missouri right now.

Attorney General Chris Koster says the ruse uses fake letterhead designed to look like government correspondence and it tells you that you are eligible for a cash award of some kind.

The letter can look official and be easy to mistake for a legitimate notice from a state of federal agency.

The scam is similar to one being done by phone, where the caller claims citizens are getting free grants from the government before asking for banking information.

Koster tells us the letters typically claim that taxes have to be paid on the windfall in advance. The letter then lists a specific amount to be sent in and claims the payment is due within five days.

If you get a letter like this, call the State Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222.