Scam Alert for Special Permit Applicants

Permit applicants in Somerville have recently received emails that appear to come from the City of Somerville requesting payment. Despite use of official logos, correct titles, and real staff names, these messages were fraudulent. The City is sharing information on how you can stay protected against potential scams.

What to know:

• The City of Somerville will never ask you to send money via gift cards, peer-to-peer apps (like Venmo or Cash App), cryptocurrency, or wire transfers to unknown accounts.
• Official City emails come from @somervillema.gov addresses.
• Fees are requested only through the City’s standard billing/invoice processes or our official online payment portals, such as Citizenserve.

How to protect yourself:

• Pause and verify. If you get a payment request you weren’t expecting, don’t click links or send funds.
• Check the sender. Confirm the full email address (not just the display name).
• Contact us directly. Forward suspicious messages regarding permit fees to planning@somervillema.gov and we’ll confirm whether it’s legitimate.
• Report it. If you believe you were targeted, let us know. You can also report phishing to your email provider—and if funds were sent, to local law enforcement.

Quick scam telltales include urgent “pay now” demands, payment methods the City doesn’t use, links to non-somervillema.gov sites, misspelled lookalike domains (for example, “somervi11e” with two capital I's or two numeral 1’s), or invoices or fees you weren’t previously notified about. 

ADA Accommodations: Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should contact the ADA Coordinator in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.

Translation/Interpretation: If you need assistance understanding this information, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311). The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter for free.