Stay vigilant for scams impersonating government agencies and their staff or officials

As a reminder, we strongly advise everyone to remain vigilant for suspicious or unexpected messages, regardless of their apparent origin from a government agency, business, or any other organization, including the Public Disclosure Commission.

 

The PDC is aware that scammers may seek to impersonate agency staff in emails in an attempt to collect personal or financial information.

 

Cybercriminals conducting scams seeking payment or personal information frequently impersonate official communications – such as emails or text messages – to establish trust; this is often referred to as a phishing scam. 

 

Be vigilant for red flags such as unusual sender addresses or phone numbers, unexpected requests for personal information, spelling or formatting errors, or a sense of urgency that compels immediate action.

 

When in doubt, navigate directly to the organization’s official website or contact them through a trusted phone number to verify the message’s authenticity. Call the PDC at 360-753-1111 if you want to verify that a message came from us.