We want to alert residents to a recent scam which is targeting applicants of several town commissions (PZC, IWWC, ZBA, & BAA). The fraudulent emails are asking applicants to wire transfer additional fees to process or approve the application.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: We never request payments by wire transfer. Commission applications are paid by cash or check at the time of submission. No additional fees are due unless specifically discussed with the applicant, and only at the time of application submission.
All email communications will come from our official town email addresses: Department or Title @columbiact.gov (e.g.:landuse [at] columbiact.gov (landuse[at]columbiact[dot]gov) or townadministrator [at] columbiact.gov (townadministrator[at]columbiact[dot]gov))
FirstLetterLastName [at] columbiact.gov (FirstLetterLastName[at]columbiact[dot]gov) (e.g.: jlavoie [at] columbiact.gov (jlavoie[at]columbiact[dot]gov))
WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE RECEIVED A SCAM EMAIL: If you receive any suspicious communications DO NOT click any links or provide any information. The best way to counteract these scams is to report them to the Cybercrimes division of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services: https://portal.ct.gov/demhs/homeland-security/cybersecurityand-cybercrimes?language=en_US.
You can review the Cyber Incident Report Guide on the CTDES website.
Submit a Phishing Email Reporting Form: https://portal.ct.gov/demhs/homelandsecurity/ suspicious-activity-reporting-form
Please remain vigilant and contact us if you have any concerns.
Thank you,
The Town of Columbia