Wappinger Supervisor Warns of New Scheme Targeting Residents
Another scam or scheme to add to the seemingly ever-growing list of things to be mindful of. A warning during the first week of July from the Town of Wappinger Supervisor warns residents in his area to be mindful of defrauding scam.
Wappinger Town Supervisor Issues Scam Alert Warning
Residents and business owners in Wappinger were warned by Town Supervisor Joseph D. Cavaccini on Wednesday, July 2nd, of a scam that has impacted the community. Information was brought to the town about individuals posing as representatives of the Town of Wappinger Planning and Zoning departments, and then attempting to 'defraud members of our community through a phishing scam.'
These scammers are using false email addresses and impersonating Town officials in an effort to deceive recipients into wire transferring money under the false pretense of being added to a Planning Board agenda.
Supervisor Cavaccini made it very clear that the Town of Wappinger will NEVER request wire transfers or online payments to be put on any Planning, Zoning, or Town Board agenda.
The Town of Wappinger, along with local authorities, are working to investigate the reported incidents.
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Elaborate Scam Used Emails Impersonating Town Officials
Supervisor Cavaccini, when contacted regarding the attempted phishing scam situation, shared the following:
I am proud to say that this is not due to a failure in the Town’s network or computer systems. We have very robust protections surrounding our servers and this was not a data breach. This was a very elaborate phishing scam using an independent email account and documentation made to look like it was from the Town of Wappinger government. Fortunately, no members of our community have fell victim to this scam, as soon as we were made aware of this incident, we were provided the false documentation, and immediately notified our community.
As a reminder to the community, any official Town of Wappinger business or communications will always be conducted using the sanctioned .gov (secure) email addresses. If at any time a resident receives a message that seems suspicious, or one that requests any personal information, including financial, it is important to immediately contact Wappinger Town Hall at 845.297.2744, and NEVER send any money.
