Scam Alert! Fake emails seeking payment for permit fees

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

Over the last several weeks, the San Juan County Department of Community Development (DCD) has received reports of scammers sending fake invoices with San Juan County logos, specifically impersonating DCD and the County’s Hearing Examiner. Some of these scams are very sophisticated, using AI to pull permit data and impersonate County staff. We are taking cybersecurity steps on our end to try and stop these criminals. 

In the meantime, we ask that the public be cautious with email communications and do not follow hyperlinks in any suspicious emails. Instead, log in to your Permit Center Portal to check the status of your permits and pay your fees. Emails from San Juan County DCD staff will come from staffname@sanjuancountywa.gov and communications from our permitting system will come from noreply@smartgovcommunity.com. San Juan County DCD will never request payment of permit fees via a wire transfer. 

If you are still unsure or have any questions, feel free to contact the San Juan County DCD office at (360)-378-2354. 

Click here to read a related FBI alert and to report incidences of this scam. 

About San Juan County’s Department of Community Development
San Juan County’s Department of Community Development is responsible for administering building permits and inspections, code enforcement, land use permits, long-range planning, and more. The department’s main office is located at 135 Rhone Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Community Development, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/1778/Community-Development.