CITY OF ROME ISSUES WARNING ABOUT FRAUDULENT PLANNING COMMISSION INVOICE EMAIL

The City of Rome is alerting residents, business owners, and developers to a fraudulent email scam circulating that falsely appears to be from the City of Rome Planning Commission.

The scam email targets recipients by referencing an alleged application before the Planning Commission and includes an attached fake invoice requesting payment. The message instructs the recipient to “reply to the email to obtain wire transfer instructions” and attempts to justify the payment by listing supposed review, zoning, inspection, and administrative fees. The email’s attached “invoice” also falsely uses the City of Rome’s name and address to appear legitimate.

This email is not from the City of Rome or the Planning Board. The invoice is fraudulent. The City of Rome never requests wire transfers for Planning Board fees, nor does it issue invoices or correspondence via unofficial email.

Mayor Jeffrey M. Lanigan issued the following statement:

“The City of Rome takes the protection of our residents and businesses very seriously. We want the public to know that this message and invoice are not legitimate and did not originate from any City department. We urge everyone to remain vigilant, avoid responding to suspicious emails, and never send funds based on unsolicited requests.”

The City advises the public to take the following precautions:

• Do NOT reply to the email.
• Do NOT provide personal information, banking details, or payment of any kind.
• Do NOT open any links in the email.
• Delete the message immediately.

Anyone who has received this fraudulent email or who has questions about the legitimacy of City correspondence is encouraged to contact the City of Rome Code Enforcement office at 315-339-7642.

Residents who believe they may have responded to the scam or shared financial information should immediately contact their bank and report the incident to the Rome Police Department at 315-339-7781.

The City of Rome will continue to monitor the situation and issue additional updates as needed.