The Oneida City Police Department has been made aware that an individual is impersonating a representative of the city of Oneida and sending fraudulent emails on behalf of the city planning director. These emails instruct recipients to make permit-related payments via wire transfer.
“This is a scam,” Lowell said.
The city of Oneida does not collect payments by wire transfer or by telephone under any circumstances. Any request for payment outside of our established in-person or official online methods should be considered suspicious.
“If you receive any questionable emails or phone calls claiming to be from the City of Oneida, please contact the Oneida City Police Department immediately,” Lowell said. “Your vigilance is critical in helping us stop these fraudulent attempts.”
Phishing is a type of cyber attack where attackers impersonate a trustworthy entity, like a company or person, to trick people into revealing sensitive information or taking a harmful action.
This is commonly done through deceptive emails, text messages, or websites that prompt users to click malicious links or provide personal data such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. The goal is to steal money, commit identity theft, or install malware on a victim’s device.
“Please carefully review any correspondence you receive that appears to come from the city,” Lowell said. “If you are uncertain about the legitimacy of a message, you are encouraged to confirm directly with the city department or employee referenced in the communication.”
A genuine City of Oneida email address will always end in: @oneidacityny.gov.
If you wish to contact the police department for non-emergency, please call the station during normal business hours at (315) 363-9111. If you call after hours, please leave a message and the message will be reviewed upon the following business day.
The Oneida City Police Department is also available to be contacted by email. Please email: Oneidacitypolice@oneidacityny.gov. The email will be forwarded to the appropriate member.
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