Park City Municipal has issued a warning about an increase in AI-generated email scams, particularly targeting individuals interacting with the City’s Planning Department. According to Park City, these deceptive emails are masquerading as communications from City staff and are trying to dupe recipients into sending money through questionable methods like wire transfers or gift cards. The Park City Police Department is currently looking into at least three cases where people were conned by these sophisticated scams.
The authorities are concerned about the growing number and complexity of these scams. "We’re seeing a rise in both the frequency and sophistication of these fraudulent emails targeting our residents," Lieutenant Danielle Snelson of the Park City Police Department said, as per Park City. She further emphasized that while the police will thoroughly investigate each reported incident, prevention is still considered the best defense against such fraudulent activities.
The city is actively reminding the public to be vigilant. Official communications from Park City are always sent from verified .gov email addresses, and the city unequivocally stated they would never request payments through wire transfer, ask for gift cards, or direct individuals to "only respond to this email." Any suspicions regarding the legitimacy of an email purportedly from the city should be a signal for recipients to confirm the authenticity of such communications.
