Delray Beach is warning that an email scam targeting residents, developers and others looking to get on the agenda of the Planning & Zoning Board has been detected.
Anthea Gianniotes, Development Services director, revealed during the Oct. 20 board meeting that scammers are sending emails impersonating department staff, claiming recipients must pay outstanding fees to remain on meeting agendas.
“Some of our customers are getting emails that say they’re from us, and in order to remain on the agenda, you need to remit some outstanding fee in several thousands of dollars,” she said.
She emphasized that the department will never request payments through Venmo or demand last-minute fees.
“These emails contain typos and mistakes, but could easily trick someone not familiar with the department’s processes,” Gianniotes said.
This is the second such targeting of Development Services customers, underscoring the growing threat of digital impersonation scams, Gianniotes said.
The department has already taken preventive measures, including removing staff email addresses and phone numbers from public agendas. The legal team is actively investigating the attacks, which Gianniotes noted have become easier with advancing artificial intelligence.
• Development Services customers are advised to:
• Verify any suspicious emails with their project planner.
• Forward fraudulent emails to Development Services.
• Never pay unexpected fees without direct confirmation.
— John Pacenti
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