PENNSYLVANIA — Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne has issued a warning about a scam targeting older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities who have applied for a rebate through Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program. The scammers, pretending to be from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, are reportedly calling applicants and asking for their bank account information under the guise of facilitating rebate payments through direct deposit.
“We want everyone to know that the Treasury Department and the Department of Revenue will never call applicants of this program and ask for their bank information,” Secretary Browne said. “No one should give out this sensitive personal information over the phone from an unsolicited caller. If you have any suspicion at all that a call like this is a scam, hang up the phone immediately.”
Applicants of the PTRR program can choose to include their banking information on their application forms to receive their rebates via direct deposit. While this option expedites the payment process, it is not mandatory. Applicants who do not provide their banking details will receive a paper check by mail.
To check the status of their rebate, applicants can use the ‘Where’s My Rebate?’ tool or contact the Department of Revenue through the Online Customer Service Center.
The PTRR program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older; widows and widowers aged 50 and older; and people with disabilities aged 18 and older. Since its launch in 1971, the program has provided more than $8 billion in property tax and rent relief to some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens. The program is supported by the Pennsylvania Lottery and receives funding from gaming.
Applying for a rebate is free, and applicants can access free assistance at hundreds of locations across the state, including Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and state legislators’ offices.
Applicants must reapply for rebates every year because rebates are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid each year. The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2022 is Dec. 31, 2023.
In exciting news for the program’s future, beginning next year, the PTRR program will expand to include nearly 175,000 additional Pennsylvanians, and the maximum standard rebate will increase to $1,000, up from $650. Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed into law an expansion of the program, fulfilling his campaign and budget address promises to ease the financial burden on Pennsylvania seniors, widows and widowers, and people with disabilities.
The Department of Revenue is expected to release additional information on how eligible Pennsylvanians can take advantage of the expanded program in January. The Department encourages Pennsylvanians to stay vigilant against fraud and to report any suspicious calls or activities.
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