IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — City officials are tracking a sophisticated email phishing scam where impostors are posing as the City of Idaho Falls to steal personal data and financial information.
These messages contain a link labeled “View Invoice Payment” that directs recipients to a site requesting their Google login credentials.
The City of Idaho Falls confirmed it will never request Google passwords, email credentials, or unrelated personal account information from customers.
“If you see any kind of red flags or anything makes you concerned, just take a second to pause and contact the city,” said Kimberly Felker public information officer for the office of mayor “City staff can help walk you through that and let you know whether what you’ve received is something that needs actual attention, or whether you might be a victim of a scam.”
As of this week, at least three residents have reported the fraudulent messages to the city. While no residents are currently known to have fallen for the scheme, officials warn that this is likely not the last time such a scam will appear.
Investigators believe an outside organization’s contact list, which included email addresses and ZIP codes, may have been compromised. This has resulted in the scam reaching people who have never received utility services from the city or who have moved away from the area. There is no evidence that any city-managed information systems have been breached.
The Idaho Falls Police Department identifies several “red flags” for residents to watch for:
- Messages that create a false sense of urgency, such as threats of immediate service disconnection.
- Incorrect grammar, typos, or language that does not make sense.
- Sender email addresses that do not match official city billing records.
- Requests for login credentials unrelated to utility services.
Residents who may have already provided credentials to the scammers are urged to change their passwords immediately, enable multi-factor authentication, and monitor financial statements.
