Columbia County residents are being told to treat surprise tax texts like the red flags they are after a scam started popping up on local phones, pretending to be from the county tax collector and urging people to scan a QR code to fix a supposed “tax issue.” The sheriff’s office said the messages are bogus and urged residents to ignore them, especially with tax season in full swing and scammers ramping up phishing attempts.
According to a Facebook alert from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, the texts claim to come from Tax Collector Kyle Keen and instruct recipients to scan a QR code or follow a payment link. The post notes that the tax collector’s office is not sending these messages and asks residents to delete them and verify any tax notices only through official channels. Officials warned that tapping links or scanning unfamiliar QR codes can send people to spoofed payment sites or malware.
Tax Collector's Office: Use Official Numbers
Kyle Keen is the elected Columbia County tax collector with an office in Lake City, and the office’s contact page lists its phone number and locations for residents who want to confirm billing notices, according to the Columbia County Tax Collector's website. County staff are urging people to rely on those official contact points instead of responding to texts or typing personal information into unfamiliar sites.
Why Tax-Themed Scams Are So Dangerous
Cybersecurity teams say tax season routinely brings a spike in phishing and “smishing” campaigns that mimic government and financial messages and increasingly lean on QR codes to funnel victims to credential-stealing pages or malware, according to analysis by Microsoft Threat Intelligence. These scams are crafted to feel urgent and look official, which makes quick double-checking through trusted, official channels all the more important.
Steps To Protect Yourself
The Federal Trade Commission recommends not replying to suspicious texts at all, not clicking links or scanning QR codes in those messages, and forwarding scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) before deleting them. You can also report incidents at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you already entered credentials or payment details, the agency advises changing passwords, contacting your bank, and filing a report with local law enforcement.
Local Reporting And What To Do If You See A Message
If one of these texts hits your phone, call the tax collector’s office at (386) 758-1077 using the number listed on its official site and avoid using any phone numbers or links included in the message. Keep a screenshot of the text and the sender’s number, and report suspicious communications to the sheriff’s office so deputies can look for patterns. Residents who believe they may have been scammed are also encouraged to consider filing a complaint with the FTC or the FBI’s IC3.
