Columbus, IN –  The City of Columbus is alerting residents to a phishing email scam currently circulating that appears to come from the “City of Columbus Planning Department”. This fraudulent email uses formatting and language that appears to be legitimate and is targeting individuals that have already began or recently completed a application process with the Planning Department.

The scam emails may include links requesting payment for application and approval fees. Please note that the City of Columbus –Bartholomew County Planning Department will never reach out for approval fees. The only fees during the Planning Department process are due at the time the application is submitted. “We want residents and local businesses to be aware that the city will never request personal or financial information through email,” stated Mike Richardson, Director of Security and Risk. “If you receive a suspicious message, please verify its legitimacy before responding or taking action.”

During the application process, once your application is received, you will receive an email from Janie Meek, Office Administrator, letting you know the fee information and that payments can be done by cash, check, or on the city’s official payment site, PayGov. The Planning Department also requires each payment to have received fee and jurisdiction (City of Columbus or Bartholomew County) verification and an application case number from the Department before making payment. Fees range on the scale of $10-$500 and not in the $1,000s of dollars being requested by the scammers.

Residents are encouraged to stay alert for phishing emails, which are designed to trick recipients into revealing personal information or clicking malicious links. To protect yourself:

• Verify the sender. Check the full email address, not just the display name. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to legitimate ones.
• Be cautious with links and attachments. Hover over links to preview the web address before clicking, and avoid downloading attachments from unknown sources.
• Watch for urgent or threatening messages. Phishing emails often pressure you to act immediately or risk losing access to an account.
• Never share personal information by email. Legitimate companies and government agencies will not ask for passwords, Social Security numbers, or financial details via email.
• Look for signs of poor quality. Misspellings, grammatical errors, or unusual formatting can signal a scam.
• When in doubt, verify. Contact the organization directly using a verified phone number or website instead of responding to the email.