Residents and businesses in Douglas County are being warned by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office about a scam involving fraudulent emails that claim to be from county or municipal planning and zoning departments.
According to investigators, scammers have been impersonating local and county land-use agencies in an attempt to collect false application or renewal fees related to zoning or planning requests. The emails are designed to look official and may mention specific property addresses, acreage, zoning classifications, or pending applications. These details are used to pressure recipients into making payments.
In several cases reported to authorities, the emails ask for payment via wire transfer and instruct recipients to reply directly for further instructions. Officials note that Douglas County does not request payments for planning, zoning, or assessor services through this method.
The scam emails typically originate from addresses formatted as: Planning.[County or Municipality Name]@usa[.]com.
The Sheriff’s Office provided advice for residents and business owners who receive suspicious messages. They recommend contacting the relevant Douglas County department directly if there is any uncertainty about an email’s legitimacy before responding or making any payments.
Additionally, people are urged to be alert for red flags commonly found in scam emails posing as government agencies.
“The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized by this scam to report it to law enforcement. Prompt reporting helps investigators identify patterns and prevent additional victims,” stated the department.
Further information on how to recognize and report scams can be found on the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office website or by calling their non-emergency line at 775-782-5126.
