Humboldt County Sheriff Warns of Email Scam Targeting McKinleyville Advisory Committee Applicants

The Humboldt County Clerk of the Board’s Office and Planning & Building Department have recently received several reports of an email scam targeting people who applied to serve on the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee, county officials warned in a newsflash posted March 3, 2026. The messages claim the applicant’s submission has been reviewed and approved, then demand an “application review and approval fee” and provide instructions to wire money to finalize approval.

Humboldt County emphasized that the solicitations are fraudulent and that the county does not charge a fee for committee service. “The County of Humboldt does not charge or require an ‘application approval fee’ and would like the community to know that this is a scam,” the county statement said, echoing language used in a prior Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office press release from November 7, 2025 that described similar tactics aimed at permit applicants.

County and sheriff’s office materials say the fraudulent emails claim to originate from the Humboldt County Planning Commission and may even identify the sender as a current or former county employee. “The email appears to mine information from publicly accessible documents such as agendas and related application documents and uses that information to include very specific details about the applicant’s project into the message. It also includes instructions on how to wire funds to settle the account,” county materials state, reflecting the pattern first reported in November 2025 and reiterated in the March 3, 2026 newsflash.

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted or victimized is urged to report the incident immediately to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. “The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who believes they may have been targeted or have been a victim of this type of fraudulent activity to report the incident immediately by calling (707) 445-7251,” the office said in its advisory. Applicants seeking to verify the status of a board or committee application may call the Humboldt County Clerk of the Board’s Office at 707-476-2390, and those with questions about pending permits may contact the Humboldt County Planning & Building Department at 707-445-7541.

The county also recommends signing up for Federal Trade Commission scam alerts and consulting federal guidance on where to report scams, and directs residents to the county’s official scam information page for common fraud prevention tips. While officials have confirmed multiple reports to county offices, they have not released numbers of victims or loss amounts; the sheriff’s office remains the point of contact for reporting and any investigative updates. Until further information is provided, applicants are advised to verify any unexpected approval notices by phone before responding to emails or wiring funds.