Scam Emails Target Humboldt Permit Applicants, County Warns
Humboldt County officials are warning residents about a wave of fraudulent emails that impersonate the Planning Commission and demand an application approval fee, often asking recipients to wire funds. The alerts matter to local homeowners, builders, and businesses because scammers are using public permit details to appear legitimate and can cause financial loss and delays to local projects.
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Humboldt County authorities have issued a public warning after the Planning & Building Department received multiple reports of an email scam aimed at people seeking permits. The fraudulent messages claim to come from the Humboldt County Planning Commission, and in some cases they spoof current or former county employees. The emails often include project specific information drawn from public agendas and documents, and they instruct recipients to wire funds as an alleged application approval fee.
County officials emphasize that the County of Humboldt does not charge any application approval fee. The Sheriff s Office press release, published by KHSU, clarifies that the county will never ask anyone to mail large sums of cash, wire funds to a private account, pay with gift cards or prepaid cards, or provide credit card details over the phone to finalize a permit. Residents who have questions about pending permits are asked to contact the Planning & Building Department at (707) 445-7541. Those who believe they have been targeted should notify the Humboldt County Sheriff s Office at (707) 445-7251.
The scheme presents practical risks for Humboldt County project applicants, including homeowners applying for building permits, contractors managing timelines and budgets, and small businesses navigating land use approvals. Even if an individual does not lose money, the presence of convincing project details in the emails can create confusion, slow approvals, and force applicants to spend time verifying legitimacy through county offices.
The county s advisory also includes common sense steps to detect and avoid such fraud. Residents are urged to spot imposters by verifying email addresses, use online searches to confirm official contact details, and not to trust caller ID or email display names as definitive verification. The release recommends talking with a trusted colleague or county staff before sending money and not relying solely on personal information provided within a suspicious message. For further information the release points readers to federal resources from the Federal Trade Commission and USA.gov, as well as the county s own scam information page.
Because the scammers appear to be using information from public records, officials said vigilance is important for anyone whose project appears on a county agenda. Humboldt s planning process relies on public access to documents and meetings, and that openness can be exploited. Prompt reporting of suspicious messages will help county staff track the scope of the fraud and protect residents from financial loss.
