Placer County residents and business owners are being warned about a scam involving fake invoices sent to people applying for development-related permits. The Community Development Resource Agency says scammers are sending emails asking for payments to continue the application process, according to the Placer County.
This scheme is similar to one recently reported in Nevada City. Scammers use public records from the permit review process to create fake messages. "We take the safety and privacy of our customers very seriously," said Community Development Resource Agency Director Paul Hellman in a statement from Placer County. He added that the permit portal has been upgraded to help protect applicant names and contact information.
Placer County is alerting the public about scam emails asking for payments through unsecure methods. These emails may wrongly refer to Placer County as a city or use incorrect email domains. Official county emails end with placer.ca.gov. People are advised to make payments only through official county websites and avoid clicking on links or attachments from unknown sources. For questions about payment requests claiming to be from the Community Development Resource Agency, call the Auburn Office at 530-745-3000 or the Tahoe City Office at 530-581-6200.
