The City of Ocala is reminding residents to stay alert for potentially harmful internet scams.
According to the city, there has been a rise in social engineering and phishing scams. Social engineering is defined as manipulating individuals into divulging personal information for fraudulent purposes.
Residents and business owners should be aware that the City of Ocala only operates the official domain of www.ocalafl.org. Any alternative versions of this domain are not associated with official city business.
The city wants to help increase awareness about email scams in general, so residents can better understand the red flags. Residents can take the following steps to protect themselves from these scams:
- Practice smart browsing by reading emails carefully and checking to make sure you know the sender.
- Be suspicious of unsolicited emails and do not respond to them.
- Never give out personal or financial information to anyone who calls or emails you.
- Check the contact page. If you do not see multiple options listed, such as phone numbers, emails, or a physical location of the business, then proceed with caution.
- Double-check the domain. Scammers will often duplicate a similar name to trick the user into believing they are visiting a legitimate business.
For more information, please contact the City of Ocala at 352-629-2489.