Snow Hill, Maryland – Worcester County Government (WCG) warns the public about an email scam designed to trick residents and business owners involved in the permitting and plan review processes into wiring money for alleged fees. The scammers impersonate Development Review and Permitting (DRP) staff members and claim the recipient must pay a fee without delay.
“Several individuals in our business community have received emails requesting payment for actual projects going through the review process,” DRP Director Jennifer Keener said. “Fortunately, we live in a tight-knit community, so recipients have felt comfortable picking up the phone and calling to confirm that the emails in question were in fact scams.”
Here are a few examples in the scam emails that should raise multiple red flags with recipients:
- @usa.com, the sender’s email address, does not match a WCG address. Even if an email appears to come from an authentic county address, always hover your mouse over the sender’s email address to reveal the actual address it was sent from. If the true address doesn’t match the legitimate county domain, it may be a spoofed email.
- require recipients to reply to the email for wire transfer instructions or include a link to a suspicious website. WCG DOES NOT accept wire transfers. Payments for valid fees can be made in person, by mail to the county’s Snow Hill address, or a secure online portal. We encourage residents to confirm the validity of any payment address by calling DRP at 410-632-1200.
- claim that all correspondence must be conducted via email. WCG staff would NEVER limit communication methods. Citizens and Government Working Together, as our motto indicates, includes personalized service ranging from phone, email, and in-person meetings.
Scammers are utilizing actual county agendas, staff reports, and other online documentation to make their emails appear legitimate.
“DRP staff communicate directly with constituents going through the plan review process, so if you haven’t had a conversation with an actual county staff member, red flags should be going off if you receive an email requesting payment,” Keener said. “When in doubt, call the county directly.”
If you or anyone you know receives a call or email from someone claiming to be a county employee and alleging that you owe an unanticipated fee for an application or service, do not share sensitive information, hit reply, or click any unknown links. Instead, call WCG directly, and staff will be glad to assist you.