Goochland Sheriff's Office Warns Residents of Email Scam Targeting Rezoning Applicants

Rezoning applicants across Goochland County have been targeted by fraudulent emails that ask for payment by wire transfer before a rezoning case can be scheduled for a public hearing, the Goochland County Sheriff’s Department warned in a post on its department blog. The emails falsely claim to come from county staff, potentially interrupting the normal scheduling of public hearings for applicants.

According to the department blog, the alert was "Posted March 2, 2026." The Sheriff's Office made the notice public online and "issued a scam alert for residents, providing details via their blog," signaling the agency wanted county applicants and community members to be aware of the scheme.

A Richmond Times-Dispatch excerpt on the warning spelled out the scam mechanics in full: "The Goochland County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents of an ongoing scam in which fraudulent emails are being sent to rezoning applicants in around Goochland County. These emails falsely claim to come from County staff and request payment via wire transfer before the case can be scheduled for public hearing."

The Sheriff’s Office blog post, as summarized in the available materials, "Urges vigilance against common fraud tactics." The materials provided do not include amounts requested, numbers of victims, sample scam emails, suspect names, or any contact information for reporting suspicious messages, and they do not report any arrests or confirmed payments tied to the emails.

Goochland County residents and applicants should note the department identified the warning on March 2, 2026, and described the scam as targeting rezoning applicants specifically. The available reporting preserves the department's core facts about impersonation of county staff and wire-transfer payment requests but does not provide follow-up details on complaints or investigations. The Sheriff's Department emphasized vigilance in the blog notice while additional specifics remain unavailable in the materials reviewed.