The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned about a phishing campaign in which scammers impersonate city and county zoning officials and send fraudulent payment requests to homeowners and businesses.
The warning was issued by the FBI through its Internet Crime Complaint Center, a division that tracks and reports cybercrime complaints in the United States. According to the alert, attackers send emails that appear to come from local planning or zoning departments and request payment to complete permit approvals.
The messages are directed at people who have applied for planning or zoning permits. Victims receive invoices requesting fees that the email claims are required to finalize or process a permit application. The FBI said some emails demand payment through wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment applications, or cryptocurrency.
Authorities said the emails often contain real details related to the recipient’s permit application. These details may include permit case numbers, property addresses, and itemized fee information. The FBI said scammers gather this information from publicly available records and use it to make the messages appear legitimate.
According to the alert, the emails often emphasize urgency and warn that permit approvals could be delayed if payment is not made immediately. The FBI said this tactic is intended to pressure recipients into paying quickly before verifying the request with their local government office.
Planning departments in multiple municipalities have reported similar incidents. A January report by the American Planning Association said dozens of planning offices across the United States have experienced phishing attempts targeting permit applicants. The affected municipalities include smaller local governments as well as larger metropolitan areas.
The FBI stated that scammers use publicly accessible information about permit applications to identify potential targets. These records are often available through government websites or other public databases, allowing attackers to tailor emails with accurate property or permit details.
Officials said payment requests that involve wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment platforms, or cryptocurrency should be treated as a warning sign. The FBI said legitimate government departments typically do not request permit payments through these methods.
The alert advises recipients of such messages to verify payment requests directly with the relevant city or county planning office before making any transfers. The FBI also recommends reviewing the sender’s email address and checking for inconsistencies that could indicate the message was not sent from an official government domain.
The FBI continues to collect reports about the phishing campaign through its Internet Crime Complaint Center as authorities monitor the activity affecting planning and zoning offices across the United States.