Village of Wilmette, Illinois, issues warning about scammers impersonating its departments

Officials in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette issued a warning Tuesday about scammers who are impersonating representatives of village departments.

In recent incidents, the scammers contacted businesses and homeowners by email, claiming to represent the Wilmette Community Development Department. The scammers requested payment for fees associated with permit applications, and asked the recipients to transfer the payment by wire.

The scammers used the Wilmette village logo and other information to make it loom like the emails really came from the Village of Wilmette.

The village warned that a scam is likely if a communication involves requests for immediate payment or urgent language like "FINAL NOTICE," emails or texts with unexpected invoices or attachments, requests for personal information such as bank accounts, login credentials, or Social Security numbers, or requests for payment through untraceable means such as prepaid cards, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.

Recipients are advised always to check a sender's email. The village noted that even if a department or name looks official, the email address might not be.

For the Village of Wilmette, all invoices are sent with email addresses ending in "@wilmette.com."

The village also noted that it does not accept payment via phone, and all bills and invoices must be paid in person, through the mail, or through the village's secure online payment portal.

Anyone who receives an email, letter, text, or call they suspect to be fraudulent is reminded not to engage with the scammer, provide any personal information, or click links or downloads.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud is also advised to contact Wilmette police at 847-256-1200.