Alpharetta, Georgia – Alpharetta officials are warning residents and businesses about a new scam that is going around. The strategy distributes fake emails that look like they originate from the city to people who are taking part in public hearings. These messages typically look real because they have official logos, personnel names, and even project data that were stolen directly from public records.
Fake invoices or demands for money for permissions and services are common in this fraud. Some of the emails tell people to pay via wire transfer, which is not how the city collects its Community Development fees. Officials said that any email that doesn’t finish in @alpharetta.ga.us should be treated with suspicion right away.
Some of the emails have attachments or links that officials strongly caution against opening. Files or links that you didn’t expect to see can have harmful content that is meant to steal your personal or financial information. The city has made it clear that these initiatives are not very clever; they depend on people not checking properly before replying…