Berks County Warns of Email Scam Impersonating Its Staff
The county and City of Reading say fraudulent emails using real employee names and logos are targeting Berks businesses to get financial information.
The County of Berks and the City of Reading are warning local businesses about fraudulent emails that impersonate the county to try to get financial information. In a joint statement the county posted August 31, it said the scam emails use some real details, such as employee names, titles, and logos, but list false phone numbers and email addresses.
The easiest way to spot a fake is the email address. Every real County of Berks email ends in @berkspa.gov. The county says it does not use @berkspa.org or @berkspa.com for any business communications, so a message from one of those addresses is not from the county.
The county did not report any dollar losses or name any business that was targeted. Its statement frames the effort as an attempt to obtain financial information through unsolicited emails and phone calls, and it urges anyone who deals with the county to slow down before responding.
How to check a message that claims to be from the county
- Look at the domain. Confirm the sender's address ends in @berkspa.gov, and treat @berkspa.org, @berkspa.com, or any similar variation as a red flag.
- Check the links. Before clicking, make sure every web address is spelled correctly and points to berkspa.gov.
- Verify through the county, not the message. If an email or call seems off, look up the department or employee at berkspa.gov and use the contact information posted there. Do not call the number or reply to the address given in the suspicious message.
The same check protects residents, not just businesses: an unexpected message about a county bill, a permit, or a service is worth verifying against berkspa.gov before you act on it.
For how to reach county offices directly and what the county handles, see how Berks County government works. To request records from a county office through the formal channel, see how to file a right-to-know request in Berks County.
Sources
- City of Reading & County of Berks Community Statement (Aug. 31, 2026) — the joint warning about impersonation emails targeting Berks businesses, including the guidance that county email uses only the @berkspa.gov domain.
- County of Berks website — the official source for department and employee contact information; use it to verify any message that claims to come from the county.
