Senior residents in St. Charles County should be particularly vigilant these days, with reports of a new phishing scam making rounds, targeting them under the guise of the Seniors Real Estate Property Tax Relief Program. In what's a classic case of wolves in sheep's clothing, scammers are sending emails impersonating government offices, with urgent requests for updates or actions to maintain tax relief benefits—a ruse designed to commit identity theft or infect devices with malware.
As reported by the St. Charles County, these malicious emails are crafted to imitate official communication but come with dangerous links or attachments. Authentic correspondence from St. Charles County never asks for personal information via email nor sends texts about the program. Instead, emails from St. Charles County's senior tax relief effort come strictly from a [email protected] account and are free of any links, ensuring safety and credibility for its recipients.
Michelle McBride, the Collector of Revenue, has addressed this issue plainly, reminding citizens that while the county might contact them, it will only be done through an @sccmo.org address. "These emails will always come from an @sccmo.org address, will never contain links, and won't ask for personal information other than what we need to call you or send you mail," McBride told St. Charles County's official announcement. For those rattled by potential phishing attempts, McBride advises a simple precaution: "If you're concerned an email is a scam, before you click anything, please pick up the phone and call us at 636-949-7470."
To help residents steer clear of such deceptions, the county has shared some tips on spotting phishing emails. Watch out for email addresses that don't match the known .gov or .org standards or use of urgent language meant to induce panic. Be wary of messages cluttered with grammatical errors, which are unlikely in legitimate government communication. And above all, do not click on any links or open attachments unless you are absolutely certain of the email's legitimacy.
