Kitchener warns public of scammers impersonating City staff via email

The City of Kitchener is alerting residents to a phishing scam involving individuals falsely claiming to be a City employee.

Scammers have contacted small business owners via email, claiming to be the City’s Manager of Special Events. The fraudsters offer “limited” vendor spots for the Christkindl Market, creating a false sense of urgency. The email uses specific details about the City employee, the event, and links to legitimate City webpages to dupe the recipient into sending money.

City of Kitchener staff have contacted Waterloo Region Police Services (WRPS) to alert them to this scam, and to prevent community members from being taken advantage of.

Tips to protect yourself

This scam is designed to exploit the trust City of Kitchener staff has with residents, and we urge community members to recognize the signs of a scam.

If you receive an unsolicited email from someone claiming to be a City staff member, take the following steps to verify the message’s legitimacy:

• Review the sender’s email address – the City of Kitchener does not use Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, or other web-based email services for communication

• Contact info@kitchener.ca to verify if you are unsure that the message is legitimate

• Report suspected phishing attempts that use City information to info@kitchener.ca

If you are the victim of a scam, contact the police non-emergency line at 519-570-9777 or use WRPS’ online reporting form.

To learn more about protecting yourself from scams, visit WRPS’ website.

For more information:

Kayla Snyder

Manager, Corporate Communications

City of Kitchener

Media@kitchener.ca