Manitou Springs investigating fraudulent emails impersonating city officials
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -The city of Manitou Springs is investigating a scam where people are receiving emails from individuals pretending to be city officials.
According to the city of Manitou Springs, these emails falsely claimed to be from Planning Director Fred Rollenhagen and included fabricated information about permit approvals and payment instructions. One such email referenced a Major Temporary Use Permit and directed the recipient to request an invoice and submit payment to maintain business operations.
The city says that these emails appear to be authentic and even include references to actual city processes. However, it was not written or authorized by any city employee.
In response, the City notified its IT and network services provider to further assess and secure communication systems. Staff are also reviewing the incidents for legal or liability implications. Anybody found impersonating a government official may be subject to criminal investigation and prosecution.
To protect yourself and your business, Manitou Springs urges the public to take the following precautions:
• Verify all permit or payment-related communications by contacting the city of Manitou Springs Planning Department at 719-685-4398 or by visiting City Hall at 606 Manitou Avenue.
• Do not delete any suspicious emails. Retain them as evidence in case they are needed for investigation.
• Do not send any form of payment or disclose sensitive information unless the request has been verified through official channels.
• Emails from City staff will only come from addresses ending in “@manitouspringsco.gov.”
• Report any suspected impersonation attempts or fraudulent correspondence immediately to the city’s Public Information Officer at 719-306-2884 or pio@manitouspringsco.gov.
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