Scammers are sending fake emails to Stafford vendors and permit applicants, posing as city planning staff and demanding payment for application fees.

The City of Stafford issued the fraud alert on Friday, Oct. 2, warning that the fraudulent emails target people who do business with the city's Planning and Zoning Division. That division handles site plan applications, specific use permits, variances, zoning and rezoning, and comprehensive plan amendments.

The scam is not unique to Stafford. The city said the fraudulent requests are targeting Planning Department customers across the country. The FBI has identified victims nationwide, according to a warning the Palm Springs Police Department issued on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

How the scam works

The emails can look convincing. The Palm Springs warning described scammers impersonating planning and zoning officials using real property addresses, permit numbers and even names of actual government staff. The emails may include professional formatting, official-looking imagery and attached PDF invoices with itemized fee statements.

The goal is to get recipients to pay fake permit fees through wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment apps or cryptocurrency.

What Stafford says to watch for

The City of Stafford stated it will never ask for payment or a wire transfer over the phone, by text or through personal email accounts. Anyone who receives a suspicious message requesting money, personal information or immediate action should not respond or click any links.

Residents and business owners unsure whether a message is legitimate can call Stafford City Hall at (281) 261-3900 to verify.

How to report it

Anyone who believes they received a fraudulent email can file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Texas residents can also file a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General's Office.

No confirmed Stafford victims have been publicly identified, and the city has not disclosed how many complaints it has received.