Yates County officials are warning residents about a scam targeting people with active applications that require review by a county planning board.
According to the Yates County Planning Department and the Yates County Sheriff’s Office, similar scams have already been reported in neighboring counties.
Officials said scammers are sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from county planning officials. The emails claim payment is required as part of the County Planning Board review process and instruct recipients to send money through wire transfers.
County officials stress that the emails are not legitimate and are not being sent by Yates County.
The Planning Department noted that official county email addresses end with “@yatescountyny.gov.” Any email requesting payment that comes from a different address should be considered suspicious.
Officials emphasized that the Yates County Planning Board does not issue invoices directly to applicants and never requests payment through wire transfers as part of the planning review process.
Residents who receive suspicious emails related to planning applications are advised not to respond, click on links, or send any money.
Anyone who receives one of the fraudulent emails should report it to local law enforcement. County officials are also encouraging residents to share the warning with anyone involved in planning, zoning, or development projects in Yates County or surrounding communities.
Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of the scam and lives in the Village of Penn Yan is encouraged to contact the Penn Yan Police Department at 315-536-4426.
