Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office:
The Humboldt County Planning & Building Department has recently received several reports of an email scam targeting our community.
In this scam fraudulent emails claim to be from the Humboldt County Planning Commission and may identify as a current and/or former employee. The scammer tells the victim that they have reviewed and approved their permit application and an “application approval fee” is required before approval can be finalized.
The email appears to mine information from publicly accessible documents such as agendas and related application documents and uses that information to include very specific details about the applicant’s project into the message. It also includes instructions on how to wire funds to settle the account.
The County of Humboldt does not charge or require an “application approval fee.” would like the community to know that this is a scam. While departments such as Planning & Building may contact you regarding an application or legitimate past amounts due, the county will never ask you to:
- Mail large sums of cash
- Wire funds to a private account
- Use a credit card over the phone, or
- Pay with gift cards or pre-paid money card
If you have any questions about the status of a pending permit application, please call the Planning & Building Department at (707) 445-7541.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who believes they may have been targeted or have been a victim of this type of fraudulent activity to report the incident immediately by calling (707) 445-7251.
Remember these tips to help protect yourself from fraud:
1. Spot imposters
Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity or a company with which you do business. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request – whether it comes as a text, a phone call or an email. And do not open attachments in emails from unknown sources.
2. Do online searches
Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers and email addresses to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe the name in an email or your caller ID
Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake email account names and caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If someone emails you asking for you to take action, do not click links in the email or open attachments. If you think the person contacting you might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
4. Talk to someone
Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend. If you have an application with the Planning and Building Department call and ask.
5. Don’t rely on personal information
Living in the digital age, access to information is easier than ever. Scammers are often able to get their hands on very personal information, providing it to their victims to make their scam look more legitimate. Don’t trust a scammer who is able to provide your personal information. If you followed the above tips and still aren’t sure, call back at a publicly listed number for the organization from which the scammer claims to be or contact your loved one directly.
Sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s scam alerts at https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams.
Visit https://www.usa.gov/where-report-scams to learn how to report scams.
Visit https://humboldtgov.org/2864/Scam-Information to learn more about some of the common scams reported to the HCSO.