Napa County officials are alerting the public to a growing phishing scam in which fraudsters impersonate county departments and staff to demand payments from residents and local business owners.
In the latest reported incident, scammers posed as representatives of the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department, requesting wire transfers or payments for permits and applications, officials said. The emails often appear legitimate but are fraudulent.
According to county officials, the scam has already cost victims thousands of dollars.
County officials urge residents to verify sender email addresses. Official communication will always come from addresses ending in @countyofnapa.org, not from generic domains such as @usa.com.
Residents are advised not to send personal or financial information via email unless the request is verified. Suspicious emails should not be opened, replied to, or clicked.
If in doubt, contact the county directly through official contact information listed at countyofnapa.org. For Planning, Building, and Environmental Services inquiries, call 707-253-4417 or email planning@countyofnapa.org.
Residents can report suspicious messages to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
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