The City of Richmond is actively addressing cyber threats and warning the public about fraudulent emails purportedly from city officials and staff. The municipality has experienced instances of cybercrime in recent months and has promptly taken steps to safeguard information and online safety for both customers and staff. Despite the intrusion into the email system in June 2023, there is no evidence that external parties accessed financial or human resources data or other enterprise systems. The city engaged cybersecurity experts to investigate, contain, and remediate the incident, following industry best practices. Additionally, a public warning about fraudulent emails has been issued through the city’s website and social media channels, with reports made to law enforcement agencies.
While city operations have not been impacted, fraudulent emails continue to circulate, containing fake PDF attachments or links that may spread malware. To enhance transparency, the City of Richmond emphasizes the ongoing cybersecurity initiatives and advises recipients not to click on any attachments or links provided in suspicious emails. The municipality has reported the criminal activity to the RCMP and the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia. Despite these efforts, the warning serves as a reminder to remain vigilant in the face of potential cyber threats and take necessary precautions to ensure online safety.
