DENVER — The Douglas County Assessor is warning seniors about a viral AI-generated scam targeting homeowners and tricking them into believing they are entitled to pay less in property taxes.

The scam appears in multiple YouTube videos making a series of false claims — including that Congress created a new federal property tax relief program for seniors, that homeowners do not have to pay property taxes into the school system, or that assessments can be capped.

▶️ Douglas County assessor talks about viral AI property tax scam with Denver7's Jessica Porter

Douglas County assessor warns seniors about viral AI property tax scam on YouTube

Hopeful seniors have been calling the Douglas County Assessor's office asking for a nonexistent "Senior Homeowner Tax Review Request."

Douglas County Assessor Toby Damisch said the videos are spreading misinformation far beyond Colorado.

"They were ridiculous and full of lies and completely misleading to the citizens, not just of Douglas County and Colorado, but the entire country because they're on YouTube, so everyone can see them, and they weren't targeted to any particular county or state," Damisch said.

When asked about the motive behind the videos, Damisch pointed to advertising revenue.

"I think that it's clickbait, and the videos are long. There's three or four of them out there, and they're 15 minutes or 20 minutes, and there's a lot of ads. So it might be as simple as them selling advertisement, getting clicks," Damisch said.

Damisch said the misinformation is a reminder not to share personal information with unreliable sources.

A real relief option does exist for qualifying seniors. The Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption can reduce property taxes for homeowners 65 and older by hundreds of dollars. The deadline to apply through your county assessor's office is Friday, Aug. 14.

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