Humboldt County warns of scam emails demanding fake permit fees

Humboldt County officials warned residents and contractors that fraudsters have been sending convincing emails demanding fake permit payments tied to active applications. The messages claimed to come from the Humboldt County Planning Commission and, in some cases, used the names of current or former county employees, then told recipients they had to pay an application approval fee or application review and approval fee before final approval could be issued.

County officials said the emails looked credible because they appeared to pull details from public records, including Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission agendas and permit materials. That made the messages feel tailored to a specific project, even when the fee request was entirely false. The county said it does not charge or require any application approval fee or application review and approval fee.

The county also drew a clear line between legitimate payment requests and the scam. Planning and building staff may contact applicants about an application or about legitimate past amounts due, but Humboldt County will never ask anyone to mail large sums of cash, wire funds to a private account, provide credit card information over the phone or pay with gift cards or prepaid money cards. Residents with questions about a pending permit were directed to the Planning & Building Department at (707) 445-7541, and anyone who believed they had been targeted or victimized was urged to report it to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.

The warning hit a nerve because the county’s Accela portal already serves as the official system for submitting applications, paying fees, scheduling inspections and checking permit status. Planning staff said permit information can be searched and viewed there without registering or logging in, giving scammers another opening to mimic real project details while pushing fake payment demands.

Current Planning, which handles subdivisions, lot line adjustments, coastal development permits, special permits and use permits, has also been working with reduced in-person counter hours since July 1, 2024, operating from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with Fridays closed. County officials first posted a public warning about the email scheme on November 7, 2025, and a similar version resurfaced in March 2026 involving McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee applicants, showing how repeat access to public records has been used to target people navigating county approvals.