Yakima County Warns of Permitting Scam Emails

FRAUD ALERT: Scam Emails Impersonating Yakima CountyYakima County is warning residents, property owners, applicants, and businesses about fraudulent emails impersonating Yakima County staff and requesting payment for permitting or development applications.The County has become aware of scam emails that use information available through the County's public permitting system to make the correspondence appear legitimate. These emails may reference actual properties, applications, or permitting activity and may include what appears to be an invoice or payment request.How to recognize a fraudulent emailYakima County reminds the public:Official County correspondence will only come from an email address ending in @co.yakima.wa.us or @yakima.gov.Yakima County will not request payment by wire transfer.Do not send money or provide financial information in response to an unexpected payment request.Be cautious of emails that ask you to reply to obtain payment or wire-transfer instructions.The fact that an email contains accurate information about your property or application does not mean the email is legitimate.If you receive a suspicious emailDo not send payment, provide banking information, or follow payment instructions contained in the email.Instead, independently contact the appropriate Yakima County department using contact information obtained from the official County website or your existing County contact to verify whether the communication is legitimate.If you have already sent money or provided financial information in response to a suspected scam, contact your financial institution immediately and consider reporting the incident to the appropriate law-enforcement or fraud-reporting agency.When in doubt, verify before you pay.For questions, please contact Monica Beltran at (509) 574-2300 or by email. Loading
Source: https://www.yakimacounty.us/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/514