Riverhead Warns of Phishing Scam Using Fake Planning and ZBA Invoices

Riverhead Town is warning applicants that a targeted email phishing campaign is impersonating the Planning Department and the Zoning Board of Appeals, and at least one person is believed to have wired $4,000 after receiving a fake invoice allegedly signed by ZBA chairman Otto Wittmeier. Senior planner Matt Charters said the fraudulent messages have included forged response letters, invoices and remittance instructions directing victims to pay through unofficial channels.

Charters described the forgeries in blunt terms: "They’re actually generating an entire response letter from the zoning board chair, signing his name on it and asking for a wire transfer of $4,000," Mr. Charters said. He said the Planning Department never accepts wire transfers and only takes checks and money orders, and he alerted Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost that a police report may be filed.

Town guidance stresses clear verification steps and payment rules. Officials say all legitimate Riverhead email addresses end in @townofriverheadny.gov and that "These emails are not sent by the town!" The town does not request payments, invoices, or permit fees through unsolicited emails, links, or electronic payment requests from outside email addresses, officials said. Riverhead staff urge applicants to contact the Planning Department directly at 631-727-3200, ext. 240, or the IT Department at ext. 348 to confirm any request before paying.

The warning has been public on multiple timelines: a short blurb posted to the Town website in January flagged spoofing activity originating from an obfuscated token shown as "(/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)"; Greater Long Island published an item on Feb. 17, 2026; and NewsBreak cited a town notice dated Feb. 26, 2026. Patch published a human-readable example of a scam address formatted as planning.townofriverheadny.gov@usa.com to show how outside domains can mimic official addresses.

Law enforcement officials are accepting reports. "Chief Frost said anyone who receives a fraudulent email can file a police report to the Riverhead Police Department," the Town reported, and residents can call the Riverhead Town Police Department at 631-727-4500 to report suspicious messages. NewsBreak also advises in-person confirmation at 4 West Second Street, Riverhead, NY 11901.

Charters said he suspects the scammers used AI tools to pull information from ZBA applications on the Town’s website and warned, "We just need to be hyper aware." Town officials say they are actively monitoring the situation while applicants and contractors are urged to verify any invoice, avoid clicking unknown links or attachments, and confirm payment instructions by calling the numbers above.