The emails falsely claim to be sent by the S.F. City Attorney’s Office to collect on an overdue invoice
SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 21, 2016) – The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office is warning the public about phishing emails that falsely claim to be sent by the City Attorney’s Office to persuade people to pay money. These fraudulent emails tell the recipient that they are overdue on an invoice and must pay immediately, or else the debt will be sent to a debt recovery firm. These communications are in contrast to legitimate communications from the City Attorney’s Office, which are sent from an official sfgov.org email address or City department mailing address.
These fraudulent emails are not from the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office and recipients should not respond or open any attachments. Instead, delete them immediately and notify the City Attorney’s Office at 415-554-4700.
Every year millions of people are targeted by scam artists trying to trick them into providing personal information or money online. Scams like these, often referred to as phishing, send unsolicited emails to victims that appear to come from legitimate sources in an effort to trick people into giving personal and sensitive information. You can learn more about these types of the scams and steps to protect yourself on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
If you would like to confirm the validity of communications from the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office received by either email or postal mail, please contact us at 415-554-4700.
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