MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -The FBI and City of Madison are warning the public about a phishing scam by criminals impersonating city and county officials to solicit fraudulent payments for local government planning and zoning applications and permits.
Criminals use publicly available application and permit information to identify potential victims and make the communications appear legitimate. Victims are instructed to pay invoices for fees related to their applications and permits and directed to make payments via wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment, or cryptocurrency.
The City of Madison is aware of fraudulent emails circulating locally that falsely claim to come from the City of Madison Planning Division Director, or other staff from Planning or Zoning.
City response
When this scam emerged last year, the City posted warnings on key webpages related to development and provided details regarding legitimate payment methods when applications are submitted for review by city boards and commissions. Applicant email addresses have also been redacted on certain documents posted online.
How to protect yourself
The City of Madison will always send emails from a “@cityofmadison.com” address. If you get an email from any other domain, it is fraudulent…