Check the email addresses: SLO County city warns of scam impersonating staff
The city of Paso Robles warned of an ongoing email scam impersonating the city’s Planning and Community Development Department.
According to a news release from the city, emails sent from planning.prcity@usa.com and Planning-Dpt.cityofelpasoderoblesca@usa.com are not associated with the city, but have been recieved by residents and businesses alike.
The emails refer to real property addresses or projects often pulled from public information and include a fake invoice PDF attachment asking for various fees, according to the release.
In the scam, the emails instruct the recipient to reply to the email and request invoice settlement advice, along with a signed invoice and payment receipt.
The emails will also falsely claim that payment is required to proceed with an application and subsequent public hearing, according to the release.
The city advised email recipients not to reply to these messages, verify all senders are from @prcity.com addresses and urged them to reach out to the city only through official contacts, such as:
- Building Division: 805-237-3850 or building@prcity.com
- Planning Division: 805-237-3970 or planning@prcity.com
- Engineering Division: 805-237-3860 or engingeering@prcity.com
- Paso Permit Portal: prcity.com/PasoPermits
