BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — Beaufort County officials are warning residents, property owners, and local businesses to watch out for an email scam involving scammers impersonating county planning and zoning employees to solicit fraudulent wire transfers.
According to county officials, scammers recently sent an email falsely claiming to be correspondence from “The Beaufort County Planning and Community Development” concerning a zoning map amendment application. The fraudulent message instructed the recipient to wire funds to cover an alleged invoice before the county could proceed with reviewing the application.
County leaders emphasized that the email was not sent by Beaufort County and that the local government will never request payments through unofficial email accounts or solicit wire transfers via informal messages.
Officials noted that the fraudulent email originated from planning.bcgov@usa.com. While the address incorporated “BCGov” and copied the names, titles, and physical address of planning department staff, it did not originate from the county’s official government domain.
Legitimate emails from county employees will always come from addresses ending in @bcgov.net.
Officials advise residents to check the actual sender address rather than relying on the displayed sender name, as scammers frequently spoof legitimate employee or department names. Other red flags include:
- Demands for wire transfers or banking details sent via email.
- High-pressure language creating false urgency around pending permits or applications.
- Requests for emailed wire receipts or payment confirmations.
- Messages received outside standard county business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- Instructions to disregard previous payment directions provided by county personnel.
Anyone who receives a suspicious email claiming to represent Beaufort County should not send money, open attachments, or click any links. Questions regarding official applications or invoices can be verified by contacting county departments directly through the official website at beaufortcountysc.gov.
Anyone who has already sent funds or shared banking details should contact their financial institution immediately and report the incident to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777.
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