Scam alert: fraudsters impersonating City of Kitchener staff via email

The City of Kitchener has been made aware of individuals reaching out to local businesses falsely claiming to be City employees.

In this scam, fraudsters contact small business owners via email, claiming to represent the City's Special Events team, offering "exclusive" vendor opportunities for the Christkindl Market. The email uses specific details about 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 residents have with City of Kitchener staff. We urge community members to learn 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 an email 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:
Corporate Communications and Marketing
City of Kitchener
media@kitchener.ca