Palm Beach County Warns of Fake Permit Email Scam

Criminals impersonating officials demand payment through unsecure channels

Mar. 30, 2026 at 9:24pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a crumpled, official-looking document with a red stamp, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the deceptive nature of the permit payment scam.A stark, gritty image of a fraudulent permit document exposes the deceptive tactics used in this payment scam targeting Palm Beach County residents and businesses.Palm Beach Today

Palm Beach County is warning residents, property owners, contractors and businesses about a phishing scam targeting people involved in permits, development applications and other land use matters. Scammers are impersonating city and county planning, zoning and building personnel in an effort to collect fraudulent payments through unsecure methods like wire transfers, peer-to-peer apps, or cryptocurrency.

Why it matters

This scam exploits the familiarity of routine permit and development processes in Palm Beach County, where contractors, property owners and businesses regularly interact with local government offices. Criminals are using official-looking details to make their demands appear legitimate, putting residents and businesses at risk of financial loss.

The details

The scammers send emails posing as local government staff and request payment for fake permit or processing fees. The messages may include real property addresses, permit or case numbers, and the names of actual government officials, as well as official-looking logos and formatting. The county says legitimate payments are only handled through the secure payment portal on their website or in person at their offices.

  • The warning from the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department was issued on March 30, 2026.

The players

Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department

The county department that oversees permits, development applications and other land use matters.

Whitney Carroll

The executive director of the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department.

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What they’re saying

“Please be aware that payments can only be made through the secure payment portal on our website or in person at our offices located at the Vista Center in West Palm Beach.”

— Whitney Carroll, Executive Director, Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department

“PZB will never ask that payments be made via email using wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment apps, or cryptocurrency as referenced in the FBI alert.”

— Whitney Carroll, Executive Director, Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department

What’s next

The county is urging residents and businesses to report any suspicious emails or payment requests to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

The takeaway

This scam highlights the importance of verifying the legitimacy of any payment requests related to permits or development applications, even if they appear to come from official sources. Residents and businesses should only make payments through the county's secure systems or in person to avoid falling victim to this type of fraud.