(KNZA)--The United States Postal Service, not modern technology, is again being used by scammers in an attempt to gain financially from local, grieving families.

In recent weeks, another scam, using a variant of a long-running scheme seeking money from intended victims in order to gain a non-existent fortune, has been targeting Kansans, both locally and statewide, through the U.S. Mail.

The latest scam, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant, targets surviving family members of those who have died, with the families receiving a letter addressed to the deceased, which claims to be from a tax processing center.

According to Merchant, the letter writer threatens to seize property if the dubious debt owed is not paid. The phone number provided in the letter is registered through what Merchant calls “a reported scam call center.”

The Sheriff, who has forwarded the information to the Kansas Attorney General- office for investigation, cautions anyone receiving so-called “official looking mail” to have it reviewed for authenticity prior to making any payment.