BY ROB DAVIS
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The city of Opelika Planning Department was recently made aware of fraudulent emails being sent to local residents requesting funds be wired on behalf of the department. The city is now warning residents of the scam and how to detect fraudulent emails.
Residents reported the emails looked official with a city of Opelika stamp and the sender named City of Opelika Planning Commission. The scammers use public records related to the person they are attempting to scam and the emails include urgent wording and warnings like “mandatory” and “settle promptly” to make victims panic and possibly act before they realize they are being scammed. Specific instructions as to how and where to wire money attempt to guide victims through the fraudulent process.
The Observer publisher and editor Michelle Key was in the middle of a chaotic Monday morning when she received an email tied to her family business’s ongoing work within the city, one that instantly demanded her attention.
“At first glance it appeared to come from the city of Opelika’s Planning Department,” Key said. “And even though we were not expecting an invoice, it contained detailed information that seemed relevant to work we actually have underway. Caught up in the rush of the week, I initially assumed this was simply how the city billed for its services.”
Later that morning, after taking a closer look at both the email and attached invoice, several red flags stood out to Key. As journalists are trained to do, Key reached out to the city for clarification, and they confirmed what she feared. The invoice was a fraudulent attempt to steal money from her family business.
“What unsettled me the most was how detailed and convincing the invoice appeared,” Key said. “I truly believe the timing of these emails is deliberate — aimed at small business owners during their busiest moments, when it’s easiest to overlook inconsistencies. In the middle of a hectic Monday it becomes just one more task in the scramble to keep a business running.”
The city is currently working with the Opelika Police Department who is investigating the scam. City officials want residents to know that city of Opelika emails will always come from an email address ending in @opelika-al.gov. Department names will be spelled correctly and official emails will never ask for sensitive personal information and never ask that you wire money.
According to Holly Trost, who works for National Cellular Directory, in 2024 Alabama residents lost $104.2 million to fraud schemes, with an average loss of $400 per victim. Alabama ranked 14th in the nation for fraud reports in 2024 as residents filed over 70,000 complaints with the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network.
If you receive an email that seems suspicious do not click on any links or attachments. Do not provide any personal information and don’t reply to the email. Simply delete the suspicious email from your inbox. If you want to confirm whether an email from the Planning Department is legitimate, you may contact the Opelika Planning Department at (334)-705-5156 or visit the department at 600 Fox Trail, Opelika,AL 36801.
