PRESS RELEASE: PHISHING SCAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2025

City of Oneida Issues Alert on Phishing Scam Impersonating Planning Department

The City of Oneida is warning residents about a phishing scam in which criminals are impersonating City staff and attempting to collect fraudulent “permit application approval fees” by email and wire transfer.

Recent messages have been sent from planningdept.cityofoneida@usa.com and falsely claim to be from “CITY OF ONEIDA NY PLANNING COMMISSION” and Planning Director Steve Vonderweidt. These emails do not come from the City of Oneida and should be ignored and reported.

How to Identify Legitimate City Emails

• All official City of Oneida staff email addresses end with @oneidacityny.gov.
• The City does not request wire transfers for permits, fees, or any City payments.
• When in doubt, residents should call City Hall directly at 315-363-4800 to verify.

If You Received a Suspicious Email

1. Do not reply, click links, open attachments, or send money.
2. Preserve the message and, if possible, save the full email headers (Message Source).
3. Report it to the Oneida Police Department and the City at 315-363-4800.
4. Consider filing a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).

The City has notified law enforcement and is taking steps to block malicious senders and strengthen email authentication controls.

For questions or verification, contact:
Office of the City Manager – 315-363-4800 • klovell@oneidacityny.gov
Planning & Development – 315-363-4800 ext. 135 • svonderweidt@oneidacityny.gov