A fake job posting impersonating the Eastchester Fire District appeared on the employment platform Lensa, the district warned Thursday, Aug. 27.
The district said a fraudulent online profile was created in its name and used to list a bogus job opening.
In a public notice published by the Yonkers Times, the district urged anyone who encounters the listing not to share personal, financial or sensitive information.
The district also warned residents not to click links if the fake job posts arrive by text or email.
Anyone interested in actual Eastchester Fire District employment should check the district's official jobs page or its Facebook page. The district serves the Town of Eastchester and the Villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe.
Second local government scam in two days
The warning is the second government-impersonation fraud to surface locally this week. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, the Village of Scarsdale alerted residents that scammers posing as its Planning and Zoning Department had emailed applicants demanding wire-transfer payments for fake land-use approvals, as we reported Aug. 26. Scarsdale said it will never request payment by wire transfer.
In July, Westchester County issued a broader alert about a nationwide planning-and-zoning email scam, following a statewide warning from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. County Executive Ken Jenkins urged residents in the July 23 release to take a few moments to verify any unexpected payment request, saying it "can prevent financial loss and protect sensitive information."
How to protect yourself
The Eastchester Fire District's notice did not name a specific contact for reporting the scam. Westchester County advises anyone who believes they have been targeted to file a report with local police and with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
