The City of Cambridge warned residents and business owners about a scam involving fake permit invoices sent by email, impersonating city employees after permit applications to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The emails instructed recipients to pay a fee, specifically excluding checks as a payment method, according to the City of Cambridge.
The Cambridge Police Department and the Information Technology Department are investigating the origin of the emails. No personal data was compromised, and no recipients have reported financial losses, as reported by the City of Cambridge.
The City of Cambridge warns residents to be careful with emails. Official emails use domains like @cambridgema.gov or @cambridgepolice.org. Emails from other domains, such as @usa.com, may be scams. The City of Cambridge does not ask for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or services like Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or Bitcoin. Residents should verify fees by contacting departments using information from the official city website. Suspicious emails should be reported to the City of Cambridge, and any financial loss should be reported to the Cambridge Police.
