If you’ve received an email from the City of Guelph regarding an “updated policy statement 2021,” don’t open it – it’s a scam. That’s the advice from city officials.
“Do not open, click, or reply. Delete it, and remove from your deleted folder too,” said a tweet from the city’s account on Friday morning.
The fake email was brought to the city’s attention by the Downtown Guelph Business Association, informed by a business owner, explained city spokesperson Stacey Hare.
The message encourages recipients to click on a link view “Updated Codes of Practice and Policy Statement.”
SCAM ALERT! We did NOT send you an email with a "City Of Guelph Updated Policy Statement 2021" It's a scam! Do not open, click, or reply. Delete it, and remove from your deleted folder too. @DowntownGuelph @GuelphChamber @InvestInGuelph @InnovateGuelph @gpsmedia pic.twitter.com/LnrNYsFZpV
— City of Guelph (@cityofguelph) February 11, 2021
"Like any institution, whether that be banking or any online interactions that you have, it's important to keep your guard up because the phishing techniques that are being used are becoming more and more sophisticated," said Mayor Cam Guthrie. "It's important that we be vigilant on these types of things. If your 'Spidy-sense' is tingling on any type of emails, you're probably right.
"It's best to call into the city or into your institution to get the verifications you need before proceeding."
THIS IS A SCAM and SPAM #Guelph! Do not open! Thanks @therobcampbell for flagging this for the community here on Twitter! https://t.co/BSRtiVF63b
— Mayor Cam Guthrie (@CamGuthrie) February 12, 2021