Fake City Email Circulating In Plainwell Triggers Warning

If it's not one scam we have to worry about, it's another.

These days, it’s important to stay cautious no matter where you are. Scammers often rely on urgency and panic, hoping people will pay without stopping to verify the details. Here's what we know about the Plainwell scam, so you’ll know what to watch for if it spreads to your neck of the woods:

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On Tuesday, May 19 the City of Plainwell's posted a public safety notice on their Facebook page warning residents of scam email which falsely claims to be from the City:

The scam email appears to originate from: From: City of Plainwell Planning Commission planning.cityofplainwell.mi.org@usa.com
and instructs recipients to request wire transfer instructions to pay a required fee in order to proceed with a municipal application...We gave this same warning back in April after these emails came to light from a local business owner. One other local business just received the same email.

These scammers seem to think people will blindly shell out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars without asking any questions. Most of us don’t have the budget to pay random bills on demand-- I certainly don't!

But that’s exactly what they’re hoping for.

City officials say they never request wire transfers via email, a common indicator of scams. Unsolicited urgent requests for large payments should be treated as a major red flag.

Anyone who has received this email or similar communications is asked to report the incident to Plainwell Department of Public Safety so the City can assist in tracking and addressing the scam.

8 Things To Do If You Paid A Phone Scammer

Merciless phone scammers are targeting unaware folks with schemes involving pleas for charity, car warranties, unpaid traffic tickets, you name it. The Federal Trade Commission says, "Scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it tough to get your money back. No matter what payment method you used to pay, the sooner you act, the better."

If you have paid one of these scammers and then realize you have been scammed, here are 8 tips from the Federal Trade Commission, on what to do if you have paid a scammer.

Gallery Credit: Brad Carpenter/Federal Trade Commission/Canva