Columbia warns residents about fraudulent email scam
Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia is alerting residents to a new email scam targeting people with short-term rentals or those applying for short-term rental permits.
Scammers have been impersonating Clinton Smith, the city’s incoming Community Development Director.
Smith, who officially begins his new role on September 29, has more than 17 years of experience in community development, most recently serving as the Director of Planning and Protective Services for Jefferson City since 2023.
The fraudulent emails are being sent from “planning.co-mo@usa.com”, which is not an official city address. Columbia officials emphasize that all legitimate city emails will always end in @CoMo.gov.
In the scam, recipients are asked to send payments to the fake email address.
Columbia resident Abby Shaffer said she takes a cautious approach when messages seem suspicious.
“I tend not to freak out. I check to make sure it’s a true source, and then I usually delete and report the message,” Shaffer said.
She added that poor wording and unusual phrasing are often red flags.
“Usually, I can tell if there’s wonky wording or if something doesn’t make sense. And I also never click on a link if it’s in a text,” she said.
City officials urge anyone who receives a suspicious email to avoid sending payment and to contact the city directly if there are questions about an invoice.
Residents can call the city at 573-874-CITY (2489) for verification.