Officials in Waterbury, Vermont, are warning zoning permit applicants about fraudulent invoices that use real project and property details to demand large payments.
In an Oct. 13 alert, the town said scammers may copy application information to make their messages look legitimate. The messages often create urgency and request wire transfers or ACH payments, a form of electronic bank transfer.
The town said its employees do not demand permit payments through urgent email requests, wire transfers or ACH instructions.
Officials advise recipients not to pay, reply to or click links in suspicious messages. Applicants should instead contact the town directly using the contact information on its official website to check whether a request is genuine.
Real property or application details in a message should not be treated as proof that the sender is a town employee.
Sources
Town of Waterbury scam alert, Oct. 13
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