The Ontario County Planning Department is warning municipalities, applicants, and the public about fraudulent emails falsely claiming to be associated with the Ontario County Planning Board.
County officials say there are no fees associated with submitting applications or referrals to the County Planning Board, and any message requesting payment in connection with a planning review should be considered suspicious.
The county emphasized that all legitimate email communications will come from an official “@ontariocountyny.gov” email address. Messages using any other domain and claiming to be from Ontario County are not authorized and should be treated as fraudulent.
Officials say scam emails often include urgent or high-pressure demands for immediate or expedited payment, sometimes with threats that a project review will be delayed. Other warning signs include requests for payment through wire transfers, gift cards, prepaid debit cards, or cryptocurrency, as well as poor formatting, unclear language, or spelling and grammatical errors.
The county says scam attempts most often occur during the first week of each month and frequently appear in the days leading up to scheduled County Planning Board meetings.
The Ontario County Planning Board does not request payments and does not require immediate financial transactions as part of its review process.
Anyone who receives a suspicious email or has questions about the legitimacy of a communication is encouraged to contact Ontario County directly at 585-396-4455 or through the official contact information listed on the county’s website.
County officials are urging anyone involved in town or village planning processes to stay alert and share the warning to help prevent further fraud.
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