The City of Battle Creek’s Information Technology Department announced on Apr. 23 that residents should be cautious when opening emails that appear to come from city Planning and Zoning staff, as there are circulating scam emails attempting to impersonate city officials.
This warning comes as the IT Department has identified fraudulent messages being sent from non-official email addresses. These messages are designed to look like they originate from official city employees, including those in the Planning and Zoning division and the Planning Commission. The scam emails often include a fake invoice, which may contain accurate information sourced from public records, but ultimately aims to deceive recipients.
According to the city’s statement, although these invoices list correct address details for the City of Battle Creek, they instruct recipients to request a payment link by replying to the email—a process not used by the city for collecting payments. Residents are reminded that all official communications will come from an email address ending with @battlecreekmi.gov.
The City of Battle Creek advises residents who receive suspicious or potentially illegitimate emails not to reply or open any attachments. Instead, they recommend verifying any questionable correspondence by contacting the city directly at 269-966-3311. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to use their email provider’s ‘Report Phishing’ or ‘Report Spam’ features and then delete such messages.
Officials stress that vigilance is key in preventing fraud attempts targeting community members through electronic communication.
