Scammers target Treasure Valley homeowners, pretend to be city officials
Idaho officials are warning Treasure Valley residents about a realistic-looking scam targeting those filing permits with their local governments.
The Idaho Attorney General’s Office said scammers are using public information submitted to local planning and development departments to create fake invoices. The scammers then pretend to be members of those departments and email applicants demanding payments, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.
“These emails insist that a project will be stalled or canceled if payments aren’t made immediately,” the release said. “But that payment won’t go to the local government or a contractor. Instead, it will likely vanish overseas into scammer accounts.”
Cities that have been hit by these scams include Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell.
“Idaho’s growth has made families a target,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “Scammers are ... counting on people to panic and pay first, ask questions later. Call the city directly before you send a dime to verify and report every attempt to my office.”
The scammers have been making their emails and invoices look realistic by using official logos, names of city employees and contractors, project details and accurate addresses, according to the AG’s office. They insist those people they contact make payments using wire transfers, gift cards or a cryptocurrency ATM.
Maureen Brewer, director of Boise Planning and Development Services, said her department would never ask people to pay through these methods.
“We encourage our customers to exercise tremendous caution and if there are any doubts whatsoever, contact our team directly before making a payment,” Brewer said.
The Idaho Attorney General’s Office said people can report this type of fraud at ReportScamsIdaho.com.
