NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — In the quiet suburb of Cleveland, where public trust is the foundation of local interaction, a new threat has emerged: scammers impersonating city officials, sending counterfeit emails that look so convincing that even the most experienced residents could fall victim. According to the city of North Royalton, perpetrators are using publicly available information from planning commission applications to create fake invoices demanding payments for non-existent fees. This scheme, which surfaced ahead of the summer season of 2025, highlights the growing danger of digital fraud in small communities where trust in local government is vulnerable.
Thomas Kelly, director of the legal department of North Royalton, whose office uncovered the scam in mid-June, describes the letters as "expertly forged," with details pulled from real building permit applications or zoning inquiries published on the city’s official website. "These letters look as if they were sent by the city council," Kelly said in an interview on June 27. "But the key sign is the absence of our official domain @northroyalton.org." The scammers likely use data from the city's website to craft convincing payment requests that come from external email addresses, demanding transfers through systems like Western Union, complicating efforts to trace the funds.
A scheme targeting vulnerable communities
The scam in North Royalton is part of a broader wave of digital fraud targeting small municipalities across America, exploiting open information to create an illusion of legitimacy. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams in 2024 — an increase of $2.5 billion over the previous year, with phishing emails remaining a primary tool for fraudsters. In North Royalton, with a population of about 30,000 and an economy dependent on small businesses and individual homeowners, such schemes can be devastating. Local residents submitting renovation or zoning requests are often elderly or small business owners who may be unaware of digital traps.
The city promptly responded by contacting all applicants to the planning commission over the past six months and posting warnings on its website and local newspapers such as The Royalton Recorder. "We do not require payments via wire transfer," Kelly emphasized. "If you receive such a letter, call our department at 440-237-5686 to verify its legitimacy." While the city has not reported specific financial losses, Kelly noted that several residents nearly became victims after submitting confirmation requests before making payments.
How the scam works and how to avoid it
The North Royalton scheme is an example of a phishing attack that uses social engineering to manipulate victims. Scammers take names, addresses, and project details from public documents available on the city’s website and create letters that mimic official correspondence. For example, a letter might contain an invoice for "additional administrative fees" for processing a construction application, with a request to transfer money to an account that does not belong to the city. According to the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC), such phishing emails often contain urgent calls to action, such as threats of project delays, to compel victims to act hastily.
Residents of North Royalton are advised to verify sender email addresses, look for spelling or stylistic errors, and never open attachments or links in suspicious messages. "If something seems too urgent or unusual, stop and check," Kelly advised. "Call our office or visit us in person." The city is also working with the North Royalton Police Department and the Cleveland FBI office to investigate the source of the scam, though tracking down perpetrators is difficult as many operate from abroad using VPNs and anonymous servers.
Broader context and fight against scams
This scam reflects a growing trend where scammers use public data to target specific individuals. In neighboring Summit County, a similar scheme targeted business owners who had applied for licenses, with fake letters purportedly from the Ohio Department of Commerce demanding "update payments." On a national scale, FTC data shows phishing attacks impersonating government agencies increased by 28% in 2024, partly due to easy access to information through transparency laws like the Ohio Public Records Act. In North Royalton, where city council prides itself on transparency, this openness has become a double-edged sword.
The city plans to bolster security measures by implementing digital signatures on official letters and conducting cybersecurity seminars for residents in partnership with Cuyahoga County Public Library. Mayor Larry Antosiewicz, in office since 1988, called the scam "an attack on community trust" and urged residents to stay vigilant. "We are building a city where people feel safe," he said at a press conference on June 26. "But safety now also means digital vigilance."
Looking ahead
As North Royalton fights this emerging threat, the incident underscores a larger issue: how can small communities protect themselves in the age of digital fraud? As attacks become more sophisticated, utilizing artificial intelligence to craft convincing fakes, municipalities across Ohio are rethinking their security protocols. For residents like Anne Martino, a local entrepreneur who received a fake letter demanding $750 for "zoning plan review," this experience was a stark wake-up call. "I almost sent the money," she said. "It looked so official."
In a city proud of its motto "Community thriving together," combating scams has become a new challenge to unity. While investigations continue, North Royalton urges anyone receiving suspicious correspondence to report it immediately by calling 440-237-5686 or through the FTC website at reportfraud.ftc.gov. In the digital era, vigilance is as vital as trust, and North Royalton hopes its warning will protect not only its residents but also communities across America.
