The City of East Ridge is issuing an official warning to residents and applicants regarding a recent scam involving fraudulent emails requesting payment for zoning-related matters.
These emails falsely claim that additional fees are owed to the City in connection with active rezoning applications.
City officials have confirmed that these communications are not legitimate and are in no way affiliated with the City of East Ridge. In several instances, the fraudulent messages have misrepresented City personnel and included what appear to be fabricated or altered documents in an attempt to deceive recipients.
Applicants should be advised that all required fees for rezoning applications are collected in full at the time of submission, and the City of East Ridge does not issue follow-up emails requesting additional payment.
The City advises the public to take the following precautions:
- Do not respond to any unsolicited emails requesting additional payment for a zoning or rezoning application.
- Do not click on links or download attachments from suspicious or unknown email addresses.
- Verify sender information carefully. Legitimate communications from City staff will come from official email addresses ending in @eastridgetn.gov.
- If in doubt, contact East Ridge City Hall directly at (423) 867-7711 to verify any correspondence related to planning, zoning, or other City matters.
Any resident who has received or responded to a suspicious email of this nature is encouraged to report the incident to the East Ridge Building & Codes Department as soon as possible.
The City remains committed to protecting residents from fraud and ensuring the integrity of municipal operations within our community.
For more information or questions regarding this notice, please contact East Ridge City Hall at (423) 867-7711 or visit www.eastridgetn.gov.