Scammers are emailing Humboldt County well permit applicants and demanding $5,960 before a permit is issued. The county says the fee is fake.
Anyone in Humboldt County, California, who has applied for a well permit may get an email demanding a $5,960 payment. The county says it is a scam. The message claims to come from an "Executive Director" of the Planning & Building Department, a title the county says is false.
The email says the sender reviewed your well permit application. It tells you to reply to "request settlement instructions and fee confirmation." It also says a "standard default application fee of $5,960" must be paid before the final permit is issued. The county says neither the Planning & Building Department nor the Division of Environmental Health requires that fee.
The county's IT security team confirmed its systems were not hacked. The scammers appear to be using details from a public state website, the State Clearing House run by the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Your records were not stolen from the county. The details were already public, which is how a stranger can sound informed about your project.
Real contact is possible. The county says the Planning & Building Department may reach out about an application or legitimate past due permit fees. So do not assume every message is fake. Check it with the county yourself, using a number you trust, not one from the email.
The alert box above lists the steps, including who to call. The release does not say how many people received the emails or whether anyone has paid.
A rushed email demanding a $5,960 permit fee is a scam, so check with the county before replying or paying anything.
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