PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Contractors, builders, and developers working in Charlotte County — be on high alert. A new and sophisticated phishing scam is targeting individuals and businesses that recently pulled permits from the county, tricking them with fake invoices that look alarmingly real.
Senior reporter Emily Young explains how the scam works:
One contractor recently received a fraudulent invoice for nearly $16,000. At first glance, the charges listed matched actual permit-related fees. But here's the catch: the invoice itself was completely fake.
Charlotte County Community Development has issued a warning about this ongoing email scam. It’s designed to deceive recipients into handing over sensitive financial information — and it’s surprisingly convincing.
The emails often:
- Reference legitimate permit activity
- Come with attached invoices
- Appear to be from a real county address
- Include suspicious links or payment requests
The most recent fraudulent message came from an address that appeared to be official: planning.charlottecountyfl@usa.com. But county officials are clear — this is not a real domain.
All legitimate emails from Charlotte County will come from an address ending in @charlottecountyfl.gov.
Kellie Stewart from Charlotte County Community Development said the county will never send invoices or request payments by email.
“We won’t ever request any sort of fees or anything via email,” Stewart explains. “If you’re getting a notice, it’s going to be something that you either come in person, go through our portal, or you call us. It’s never going to be, ‘Hey, here’s an invoice,’ with a PDF asking for money.”
County officials said this scam first surfaced back in April, and it appears to have resurfaced with even more polish and precision.
The scam was only uncovered when a sharp-eyed contractor forwarded the email to the county after noticing something off about the sender’s domain name.
That caution may have saved them thousands and helped alert others.
If you’ve recently applied for permits in Charlotte County, double-check any invoice or email you receive. When in doubt:
- Do not click on any links or open suspicious attachments
- Verify the sender’s email domain
- Contact Charlotte County Community Development directly via their official website or phone number
This scam is specifically targeting those who’ve interacted with the county’s permitting system — and it’s designed to look legitimate. Builders, developers, and contractors should stay vigilant.
When in doubt, trust your gut and contact Charlotte County directly to confirm the legitimacy of any payment request.
