Westchester police warn of permit phishing scam

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - An email phishing scheme is circulating that targets folks applying for planning and zoning permits.

The scammers impersonate local municipal staff members and demand payment for an “application approval fee,” according to media reports.

The faux invoices claim that paying up is a critical step in the application process.

They are designed to appear credible and urgent and often arrive shorty after the municipality posts meeting agendas and application materials online.

Some municipalities are acting to head the bad guys off at the pass by deleting sensitive personal information from documents that are available to the public.

HOW IT WORKS

Scammers are using information taken directly from publicly posted Planning, Zoning, and Architectural Review Board agendas on municipal websites.

They then:

• Create fake invoices that appear to come from the municipality.

• Use the Village logo and names of actual board and staff members.

• Reference real meeting dates and legitimate application numbers.

• Send these fraudulent invoices to applicants.

• Demand large payments via wire transfer, claiming the money is required for your application to continue being processed.

• Provide a spoofed email address that looks similar to an official municipal domain.

Because these invoices contain accurate details, they may appear legitimate, especially for applicants who may not be familiar with municipal processes.

Municipalities NEVER requests payment by wire transfer for the Planning, Zoning and Architectural Review Boards.

DOS AND DON’TS

If you receive an invoice:

• Do NOT send money.

• Do NOT respond to the email listed on the invoice.

• Contact your local building department directly.

• Report the incident to the Westchester County Police at (914) 241-1100.