(FREMONT, CA.) - The City of Fremont is warning residents about a scam in which individuals are falsely claiming to represent City departments and attempting to collect fraudulent payments.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Fremont Police Department
According to a Facebook post made by the city, scammers may pose as employees from departments such as Planning or Building and Safety. The fraudulent messages may arrive by email or letter and claim that the recipient owes an immediate payment or fine connected to a permit or application.
The city warned that some scam emails may appear legitimate because the sender's display name can show “City of Fremont.” However, the actual email address may use a fraudulent or look-alike domain.
The city said its official email addresses always end in @fremont.gov. Messages claiming to be from the city that come from a different email domain should be treated as suspicious.
Residents should take extra care when receiving unexpected messages requesting money, personal information, or immediate action. Scammers often use urgency to pressure people into responding before they have time to verify whether a request is legitimate.
Residents should check the complete email address rather than relying on the sender's displayed name and avoid clicking unexpected links in emails or text messages. Instead, visit the official City website by entering the address directly into a browser.
Additionally, residents should avoid opening suspicious attachments, which could contain malicious software or other unwanted content. Residents should never provide passwords, financial information or other sensitive personal information in response to an unexpected message and should be cautious of urgent payment demands, particularly when a message threatens penalties or other consequences for failing to pay immediately.
The city also highlights how it’s important to verify requests independently by contacting the City department through contact information found on the official city website rather than using contact information provided in the suspicious message.
Suspected scams can be reported to local law enforcement or to the Fremont Police Department's non-emergency line at (510) 790-6800.
The city encouraged residents to share the warning with friends, neighbors, and family members to help prevent others from becoming victims of similar scams.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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