(ABC 6 News) — Olmsted County issued an alert on Monday regarding reports of an email scam.
According to officials, fraudulent emails have been sent to residents, contractors, and businesses regarding planning and zoning activity.
Officials said the messages are not from Olmsted County even though they may reference real projects or appear connected to legitimate permits or development application workflows.
According to the county, the activity being seen aligns with a nationwide phishing scheme recently shared by the FBI.
In recent incidents, people have reported receiving messages claiming to relate to development application reviews, updates, or approvals.
Officials report the sender address often mimics an official government account but is actually being sent from non‑government domains such as “@usa.com,” and that scammers have also signed emails using the names of real Olmsted County employees to make them seem legitimate.
To help protect yourself:
- Treat unexpected messages about permits or applications with caution, especially if you were not anticipating an update.
- Check the sender’s email domain. Official Olmsted County staff will communicate using government-issued addresses ending with @olmstedcounty.gov, never from free domains like “USA.com” or similar.
- Do not open attachments, click links, or respond to suspicious emails requesting payment or personal information.
- If you believe you have received a fraudulent message, notify the Olmsted County Planning department.
