Full Notification

We have been notified that scammers are calling residents, claiming to be from the City, and stating that they will disconnect the citizen’s water if a payment is not made immediately. An email to the same effect has also been circulating. The body of the message bears the City of Fairfield logo, and an included link navigates to the correct website, but the included payment link redirects users to Zelle. 

A few things will typically give a scammer away:

1.) They want to create a sense of urgency so their target panics and acts without thinking. 
2.) There are typically misspellings when the scammer’s missive is sent via text or email. 
3.) Payment will be requested through unofficial means, like PayPal or Zelle. 

Some tips for handling scams of this nature:
1.) If contacted via telephone, hang up the phone and call the confirmed number for the company before giving away any personally identifiable information or making a payment. 
2.)You should know the status of payment for your utilities. If you don’t, log into your account independently to double check whether anything is actually owed. 
3.) Never click on links included in emails, but navigate to the known Web address in your browser. 
4.) As with all phishing scams, click on the email address in the “From” tab to reveal the FULL email address of the sender. You’d be surprised at how easily this one tip could save you tons of hassle. 

Be alert! With advances in technology, scammers are becoming increasingly savvy. Avoid becoming a victim by using these tips!