Residents Advised of Potential Phishing Scam related to Privacy Breach

The City of St. John’s is advising of an unintentional privacy breach involving the personal information of 219 residents that use its RECconnect system. On October 31, 2023, a City of St. John’s employee became the victim of a phishing scheme in which someone posing as an employee of the City of St. John’s asked for an accounts receivable report via email. The City became aware of the breach on Thursday, November 2,2023.

The information breached included name, RECconnect account number and the amount owing. Please note this information cannot be used to access online accounts. All residents who were impacted have been notified via email or phone.

While the breach did not include contact information, it was the result of a phishing scheme, so we ask that those impacted and all residents please be aware of any suspicious emails claiming to be from the City of St. John’s.

The following tips are useful in protecting yourself from phishing scams: 

1. Beware of Suspicious Emails: Always double-check the sender's email address, as the email name or description can be used to impersonate or mislead. The City will never ask for payment information via email. If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be the City of St. John’s, please call 311 or 754-CITY (2489) or email access@stjohns.ca.
2. Avoid Clicking on Unknown Links: Be cautious when clicking on links in emails or messages. Hover your mouse over the link to see the actual web address before clicking.
3. Watch for Red Flags: Be cautious of emails with urgent requests, generic greetings, or misspelled words. Scammers often make mistakes.

The City of St. John’s sincerely apologizes for any distress or inconvenience this may have caused. We take our role in protecting your personal information very seriously.

The City of St. John’s recognizes the growing complexity of cyber security and provides robust training to its employees. When an incident is identified, the City will provide personalized additional training to individuals to help them remain vigilant at all times.