By Halston Media Staff
Westchester County is warning residents and businesses to be on alert for a nationwide email scam targeting people involved in planning, zoning and land use applications.
The warning on Friday follows a statewide alert from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services about scammers impersonating local planning and zoning departments to request fraudulent payments for land use application renewals and related fees.
According to state and federal officials, the fraudulent emails often include invoices that appear legitimate and may use publicly available information to make the requests seem authentic. County officials said legitimate correspondence will come only from official government email addresses and urged residents not to rely on payment requests sent from unfamiliar email domains.
County Executive Ken Jenkins encouraged residents and businesses to verify unexpected payment requests before taking action.
Protecting our residents and businesses means keeping them informed about emerging threats. While these fraudulent emails may appear convincing, a few moments spent verifying a request can prevent financial loss and protect sensitive information,” he said in a prepared statement. “We encourage anyone who receives an unexpected payment request to do their due diligence before taking any action.”
Planning Commissioner Blanca Lopez said scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to imitate government agencies.
“We want residents, property owners and businesses to know that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to imitate government agencies,” Lopez said. “If you receive an unexpected email requesting payment for a planning or zoning matter, take a moment to verify its authenticity before responding.”
County officials advised recipients of suspicious emails not to click links, open attachments or send payments until verifying the request. One common sign of the scam is an email sent from a “usa.com” domain instead of an official government email address. Officials also cautioned against payment requests made through wire transfers.
In most cases, municipalities require payments to be made in person at local building departments or through secure payment portals on official municipal websites.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted or victimized should report the incident to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Residents with questions about planning or zoning matters should contact the Westchester County Department of Planning at wcdp@westchestercountyny.gov or by phone at (914) 995-4400.
