A statement from Manistee County administrative office said that the messages attempt to solicit payment for an “Application Review and Approval Fee” and instructs recipients to request wire transfer information to settle a fabricated invoice.
The scam email, sent from PlanningDept-CountyOfManisteeMI@usa.com, includes detailed references to parcel numbers, supposed application reviews and fabricated administrative processes.
It instructs recipients to request wire instructions and return proof of payment, tactics commonly associated with financial fraud.
This email did not originate from the Manistee County Planning Department, nor does the department request wire transfer payments, according to a news release.
Fee invoices are issued through official county channels and paid through secure, established methods.
All official county emails originate from manisteecountymi.gov or other verified government domains.
Anyone receiving suspicious correspondence requesting payment should not respond, not click any links, and not provide personal or financial information.
County officials urge anyone who received this fraudulent email to report it to the county administrator’s office and to mark it as spam or phishing through their email provider.
“Protecting our residents and property owners is a top priority,” Manistee County controller and administrator Lisa Sagala said. “These scammers are using detailed language to appear legitimate, but this message is not from Manistee County. We encourage everyone to remain cautious and to contact our offices directly if they ever receive an email that doesn’t seem right.”
Residents with concerns can contact the administrator’s office at 231-398-3504 or Manistee County Planning Department at 231-723-6041.
