The City of Norfolk and the Norfolk Police Division are warning residents, business owners, and developers about an ongoing email scam in which fraudsters pose as City of Norfolk officials and attempt to collect payments for planning, zoning, or licensing services.
According to Capt. Mike Bauer, scammers are obtaining names and contact information from older Planning Commission and City Council agenda materials that were publicly available at the time.
Using that information, they send official-looking emails and invoices requesting payment for services that were completed months or even years ago.
In recent cases, victims were asked to pay thousands of dollars, often under urgent deadlines, for processes that had already been finalized.
What the Scam Looks Like
• Emails appear to come from the “City of Norfolk” or “Planning Commission”
• Invoices reference legitimate city processes (plats, zoning, permits, liquor licenses)
• Dollar amounts are often significant (for example, $3,800)
• Payment is requested by email, wire transfer, or non-standard methods
• Messages create urgency and pressure to “finalize approval”
Important Reminders
• The City of Norfolk does NOT request payment by email
• The City does NOT ask for wire transfers or emailed payment confirmations
• Official city emails end in @norfolkne.gov
• If you receive a payment request and are unsure, do not pay it
