Battle Creek Police Warn of Email Scam Impersonating City Officials

The Battle Creek Police Department is cautioning residents about a recent email scam where fraudsters impersonate city officials to solicit payments.

Two community members reported receiving suspicious emails that appeared to be from official city accounts. These messages included invoices for rezoning application approvals and instructed recipients to reply for wire transfer instructions. Notably, the emails emphasized conducting all correspondence via email for auditing purposes and omitted any phone contact information.

Police Chief Shannon Bagley advises residents to remain vigilant and watch for common signs of email scams:

Verify the sender's email address. Official city emails use the domain @battlecreekmi.gov. Any other domain should be treated with caution.

Be wary of urgent requests. Scammers often pressure recipients to send money or click links quickly.

Confirm communication methods. City business is not limited to email. Residents can call the City of Battle Creek Information Center at 269-966-3311 to verify the legitimacy of any message by speaking directly with the purported sender.

"This scam appears to exploit public information, such as meeting agendas, to deceive individuals into believing they're engaging in official city business," Bagley stated.

Similar scams have been reported in other Michigan communities. For instance, in May 2025, the City of Grand Rapids warned residents about fraudulent emails from "Planning.CityOfGrand@usa.com" requesting wire transfers for fake invoices. Additionally, in July 2025, the Michigan State Police reported incidents where individuals received calls from someone claiming to be a lieutenant, alleging arrest warrants and demanding payment to avoid arrest.

Residents who receive suspicious emails are encouraged to report them to the Battle Creek Police Department at 269-781-0911 or contact Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.