Scam alert: Whatcom County officials say residents targeted by fake invoice scheme
Whatcom County offiicals are warning residents to be cautious of scammers sending fake invoices with an official county logo.
The county said it has received reports of individuals impersonating county staff in phishing emails for planning and zoning permits. The scams are “sophisticated,” the county said, and use AI to pull permit data. The same scheme is being seen nationwide.
The county said it is taking cybersecurity steps to prevent additional scams.
Whatcom County residents should be cautious with email communications and not follow hyperlinks in any suspicious emails. Official emails from Whatcom County Planning & Development Services staff will have the @co.whatcom.wa.us domain, and communications from the permitting system will come from noreply@eplmail.tylerapp.com.
Planning and Development Services will never request permit fees via wire transfer. You can log in to your customer service portal to check the status of permits and pay fees.
If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this scam, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.