THE City of Abbotsford is urging residents and businesses to stay alert after becoming aware of an impersonation scam involving fraudulent invoices and payment requests where a third party attempted to direct payment of a fraudulent invoice to an account not associated with the City.

Recently, a property owner with an active development application was contacted by someone falsely claiming to represent the City. The fraudster asked the property owner to pay an invoice by wire transfer to an account that was not connected to the City. Fortunately, the property owner contacted the City before making any payment.

To help others avoid similar situations, the City is sharing this information as a precaution and has reported the incident to the Abbotsford Police Department.

Impersonation scams can take many forms, including emails, text messages, phone calls, letters, QR codes or fake websites. These messages often look legitimate and may include official logos, familiar names and urgent language to pressure people into acting quickly.

Residents and businesses can learn more fraud protection tips on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.

If you believe you have received a fraudulent email or message, you can also report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to help authorities track and prevent scams.

If you live or work in Abbotsford, you can also report scams to the Abbotsford Police Department by calling their non-emergency line at 604-859-5225.