Ontario County is warning planning applicants not to pay emails demanding money for County Planning Board review or threatening that their applications will be withdrawn or delayed.
There is no fee for that review, according to the county Planning Department's alert and its official Planning Board notice.
The county says fraudulent messages may claim that payment is urgent or required to keep an application moving. Scammers may use pressure or deadlines to make the demand appear legitimate.
The warning concerns County Planning Board review, not a blanket exemption from every local planning, zoning or permit fee.
Official county emails use an @ontariocountyny.gov address, the department said. A message claiming to be from the county but using another domain should be treated as a scam.
Applicants who receive a suspicious request, or who are unsure whether an email is legitimate, should not click its links or send payment. The department asks them to verify the request directly rather than responding to the sender.
The Ontario County Planning Department can be reached at 585-396-4455. Applicants can also use the county's official Planning Department website to contact staff.
Anyone who believes they have fallen victim to the scam is asked to report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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