The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents and local businesses about a scam involving fraudulent emails that falsely claim to be from county or municipal planning and zoning departments.
Investigators have received reports of scammers impersonating local and county land-use agencies to collect illegitimate application or renewal fees related to zoning or planning requests. These emails are designed to appear official and may reference property addresses, acreage, zoning classifications, or pending applications to pressure recipients into making payments.
In several reported cases, the emails request payment via wire transfer and instruct recipients to reply directly for payment instructions. DouglasCounty does not request planning, zoning, or assessor payments in this manner.
The scam emails often originate from addresses using the following format:
Planning.[County or Municipality Name]@usa[.]com
Sample email below.
What To Do
Residents and business owners are urged to use caution and take the following steps if they receive a similar message:
- Do not send payment or reply to the email.
- Do not click links or open attachments.
- Independently verify the request by directly contacting the appropriate county department using a publicly listed phone number or official website.
- Report the suspicious email to local law enforcement.
If you receive an email claiming to be from a planning, zoning, or assessor’s office and are unsure of its legitimacy, contact the respective Douglas County department directly before taking any action.
How to Spot Scam Emails Posing as Government Agencies
Be cautious of emails that display one or more of the following red flags:
- Unexpected payment requests, especially for zoning, planning, or permit applications you did not recently submit.
- Pressure to act quickly, including language suggesting deadlines, penalties, or urgency.
- Requests for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or other nonstandard methods.
- Email addresses that do not match official county domains, such as messages ending in “@usa[.]com”.
- Instructions to reply by email only rather than directing you to a verified phone number or official website.
- Overly formal or generic language that lacks specific department contact information.
- Attachments or links asking you to provide payment confirmation or personal details.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized by this scam to report it to law enforcement. Prompt reporting helps investigators identify patterns and prevent additional victims.
For more information on how to recognize and report scams, visit the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office website or contact the non-emergency line at 775-782-5126.
