WRENTHAM — The Town of Wrentham is warning community members about a scam involving fraudulent emails targeting applicants for permits, licenses, and other approvals from the Town.
Local officials have recently become aware of scam emails bearing official Town of Wrentham logos with fake billing invoices, referencing real property addresses and projects, with requests for payments via wire transfer, check or through links for online payment. Do not follow these malicious links, disregard these requests for payment and report these fraudulent emails as spam with your email service provider.
The Town of Wrentham does not send emails with links asking residents or contractors to pay permit fees or any other municipal bills.
Residents should only make payments on the official Town of Wrentham website by clicking the “Online Payments” button on the homepage at www.wrentham.gov. Fees can also be paid in-person at Town Hall at 79 South St. Permit applicants should also only use the official Town website to access the Town’s permitting system through its OpenGov service, which can be reached directly at wrenthamma.portal.opengov.com.
Anyone who receives a suspicious message claiming to be from the Town of Wrentham is encouraged to contact Town Hall directly to confirm whether a payment is required. Town Hall can be reached by phone at 508-384-5400.
Town officials believe scammers may be targeting permit applicants by gathering contact information from the public domain. In some cases, fraudulent messages may appear convincing or may appear to come from legitimate organizations or individuals.
Similar scam emails have also targeted individuals and businesses in Mansfield and Franklin.
Tips to Protect Yourself from Payment Scams
DOs:
- Go directly to the Town of Wrentham website (www.wrentham.gov) to make payments.
- Use only the town’s official OpenGov permitting portal (wrenthamma.portal.opengov.com).
- Verify payment requests by contacting Town Hall directly if something seems suspicious. Town Hall can be reached by phone at 508-384-5400.
- Carefully check email addresses, website URLs and other details before responding to messages.
DON’Ts:
- Click on payment links in emails or text messages.
- Send money based on an email request without verifying it through official town channels.
- Assume a message is legitimate simply because it references a permit that you are seeking or an unpaid bill for a town service.
- Provide personal or financial information in response to an email.
For more information about permits, payments or town services, residents should visit www.wrentham.gov.
Targets of online fraud may contact the Wrentham Police Department at 508-384-2121 to report suspected scams.
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