In June, Wayne County’s Planning Department warned towns and villages about emails requesting payment for planning reviews. Some messages named local officials, mentioned real proposals and looked like official county correspondence. The fees themselves were bogus.
A town clerk or small-business bookkeeper might already be expecting paperwork connected to a project. Familiar names and references can make the next request look routine.
Real Details, Fraudulent Payment Requests
The Wayne County warning about planning fee scams described messages that impersonated planning board members and staff. Some used county-style logos and cited local laws. Others warned of delays or penalties unless payment arrived promptly.
The county said it doesn’t collect application review or approval fees for referrals from towns and villages. It also warned that its planning staff wouldn’t request payment through wire transfers, cryptocurrency or payment apps.
A familiar project name wasn’t much help when the fee itself wasn’t real.
Keeping Track of Who’s Sending Invoices
A local contractor may have one person preparing estimates and someone else sending invoices. Over time, staff can end up with several addresses for the same business, along with old contacts who have changed jobs.
Using professional email addresses on a company domain can make those contacts easier to maintain, especially when several employees handle customer accounts. But an address that looks right still isn’t proof of who’s behind a message. Names can be copied, lookalike domains can be registered and genuine accounts can be taken over.
For payment requests, the more useful record is often the one already on file: a confirmed contact number, an established billing address and the bank details used for previous invoices.
What Happened When a Vendor’s Details Changed
An earlier New York case showed how much can depend on information moving between departments. Warren County sent two wire transfers totaling $3.3 million after criminals posed as a longtime contractor and supplied altered payment instructions, according to reporting published in January 2026.
The contractor, Peckham Industries, had warned the county’s public works staff about similar scams months before the payments were made. That warning hadn’t reached the treasurer’s office.
A finance employee doesn’t necessarily know what a project manager heard from a vendor last summer. If changes to banking instructions arrive by email and nobody checks them with the existing contact, the transaction can proceed on the strength of a convincing message.
Don’t Rely on a Number in the Message
Calling to confirm an invoice is sensible, provided the call goes to a number the office already trusts. A phone number included in a questionable email may lead straight to the person who sent it.
The risk isn’t confined to inboxes. Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report says success in mobile social-engineering attacks rose 40%, highlighting the role of deceptive calls and messages. A conversation by phone can be just as carefully staged as an email exchange.
A Short Check Before Sending Money
Smaller offices don’t always have a dedicated fraud team. They can still give staff a consistent way to handle payment changes:
- Check the invoice against existing records. Confirm the charge was expected and that the amount, payee and project details match.
- Call the vendor using a saved number. Ask about any new bank account or unusual payment method, without relying on contact details supplied in the request.
- Make the approval traceable. Record who confirmed the change and who authorized the transfer, so another employee can review it if needed.
If money has already gone to a suspected scammer, contact the bank immediately. Keep the original messages and payment records for investigators.
Wayne County’s emails sought fees the county didn’t charge. The Warren County fraud redirected money intended for a real contractor. In each case, the information needed to question the request was available outside the incoming message.
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