City officials warn residents about scammers posing as government representatives
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The City of St. Joseph is warning the St. Joseph community to be aware of scammers following an increase in fraudulent emails sent by scammers posing as government representatives.
The City said the emails originate from outside its organization, but are designed to appear real by using official-looking logos, letterheads and other formatting intended to mimic government correspondence.
Additionally, recipients have seen emails including fake invoices or payment requests.
A news release from the City notes that phishing scams have increased, and government agencies nationwide are experiencing an uptick in fraudulent emails impersonating official organizations.
Phishing scams make it difficult for recipients to distinguish fraudulent messages from legitimate communications.
The City is asking residents to help identify fraudulent emails by staying vigilant.
Official City of St. Joseph emails will only come from a ".gov" email address. Official City emails will not come from a ".com," ".org," ".us" or other domains.
In addition, the City does not send invoices requesting wire transfers without established payment instructions. The City of St. Joseph, including the St. Joseph Police Department, will never request payment using gift cards or cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin.
The City said businesses should exercise caution with items involving City Council, as business names and addresses associated with City Council agenda items are public information and are often included in official notices and media reports.
Scammers can utilize business information available to the public to create convincing fraudulent emails.
Community members who receive an email claiming to be from the City and question its legitimacy should not use the contact information provided within the email. Fraudulent messages often include fake phone numbers and email addresses.
Recipients are encouraged to visit the City's official website, www.stjosephmo.gov, to locate the appropriate department's contact information and call to verify whether the communication is authentic.
The City is also encouraging recipients to avoid clicking links, downloading attachments or responding to suspicious emails.
