Officials in Palm Beach County are warning residents, property owners, contractors and businesses about a phishing scam in which criminals impersonate government staff from the county’s planning and permitting offices to collect fraudulent payments.
According to the county’s Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (PZB), scammers are sending emails posing as local government planning, zoning or building personnel and requesting payment for fake permit or development application fees.
Authorities say the messages are designed to appear legitimate and may contain accurate property addresses, permit or case numbers, and even the names of real government officials. In some cases, the emails also feature official-looking logos and formatting to make the requests appear authentic.
“Please be aware that payments can only be made through the secure payment portal on our website or in person at our offices located at the Vista Center in West Palm Beach,” said Whitney Carroll, executive director of PZB.
Carroll emphasized that the department does not request payments through email.
“PZB will never ask that payments be made via email using wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment apps, or cryptocurrency as referenced in the FBI alert,” she added.
The warning follows a public alert issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation highlighting common tactics used in the scam.
Among the red flags identified by the FBI are emails sent from non-government domains that do not end in “.gov,” messages using urgent language threatening delays or penalties if payment is not made quickly, invoices directing recipients to reply by email for payment instructions, and requests for payment through wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment applications or cryptocurrency.
Officials are urging anyone who receives a suspicious message to verify the request before making any payment. Individuals who believe they may have been targeted or victimized by the scheme are encouraged to report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Residents with questions about permit fees or payments can also contact the Planning, Zoning and Building Department directly at 561-233-5001.
