City of Hamilton warns residents, businesses of fake invoice scam

The City of Hamilton is advising residents, businesses and development applicants to be cautious of fake invoices from the city.

The city says it will never request payments, deposits, banking information, passwords, verification codes or other sensitive information through personal, unofficial or non-city email accounts.

Hamilton residents are being encouraged to watch for urgent demands, threats of application delays and email addresses that do not exactly match an official city domain.

Fraudsters may use information from public documents such as real property addresses, permit applications, project details and the names of city employees.

City officials are reminding the public that the presence of accurate information or a city logo does not mean a message is legitimate.

READ MORE: Auditor General ‘Fraud and Waste’ report: More recoveries than losses for City of Hamilton

Before making a payment, residents are advised to contact the City of Hamilton directly using the phone number or contact information published on the official city website.

Residents should not use the phone number, link or payment instructions contained in a suspicious message.

If someone believes they have received a fraudulent email or message, it can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to help authorities track and prevent scams and follow any additional guidance on that site.

If money was already sent to a potential fraudster, it is best for the resident to contact their financial institution immediately and ask whether the payment can be stopped or recalled.

The incident can be reported to the Hamilton police by using the non-emergency line at 905-546-4925. More information is also available online.

WATCH MORE: Surrey man turns himself in after stealing $550k from City of Hamilton in “cyber-enabled fraud”