Town of Ponoka warns residents of phishing scam

PONOKA -- The Town of Ponoka has issued a notice regarding an ongoing phishing scam.

In a statement, Ponoka staff say that they've received multiple reports of phishing emails impersonating a Town of Ponoka employee named "Dwayne" being sent to local residents and vendors of the municipality. They ask residents to be aware of this ongoing scam and reiterate that this email did not originate from the township.

The emails are about a Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Town of Ponoka and include a link to the fraudulent RFP. Residents are asked to avoid clicking on the link and immediately delete the email. If you have clicked on the link, you're advised to change your passwords for your computer and email immediately.

In addition, the Town of Ponoka goes on to say that if you have provided any sensitive information, such as credit card or payment information, you should call your bank immediately to change your banking information and cancel the affected credit cards immediately.

A phishing email is a fraudulent message designed to look legitimate, aiming to steal sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers. These scams often use urgent language, fake branding, and malicious links or attachments to trick recipients.