Schuyler County Planning Director Joann Lindstrom and County Attorney Steven Getman are jointly alerting residents, businesses, and applicants to be vigilant against a scam involving fraudulent invoices and emails that impersonate county planning offices.
This scam, which has been reported across New York State, and in other states nationwide, attempts to deceive individuals into paying nonexistent fees for land use or planning reviews. At least one incident has been reported in Schuyler County.
“The Schuyler County Planning Department and its Planning Commission do not charge any costs for land use reviews,” said Lindstrom. “If you receive a bill from the Planning Department, do not submit payment and contact the Schuyler County Planning Department immediately.”
"We want to ensure that our community is protected from these deceptive practices," said Getman. “If you've received any such email, report it immediately to help us track and stop these fraudsters."
Getman said residents should be on the lookout for common signs of potential scam emails, including:
- Urgent or high-pressure demands for immediate or expedited payment, often containing threats of delays to project review.
- Request for payment through suspicious channels: wire transfers, gift cards, prepaid debit cards or cryptocurrency.
- Multiple spelling or grammatical errors.
- Poor formatting or unclear language.
- Scam communications most often occur the week before the county planning board meeting is scheduled, as seen on the schedule posted to the county planning board web page. Scam attempts typically occur the first week of each month.
Getman offered the following tips to avoid the scam:
- Verify email addresses and confirm all communications come from official sources like “schuylercountyny.gov” or “schuylercounty.us.”
- Confirm any invoice or request by contacting the Schuyler County Planning Department directly using known phone numbers or the county website, not those provided in the suspicious message.
- Be wary of high-pressure tactics, such as threats of delays or urgent deadlines.
- Avoid payments through wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards—these are common scam indicators.
- Educate yourself on official processes by being an active member of the local community.
Persons who suspect they have encountered this scam should report it immediately to
Schuyler County Planning Department (Telephone: 607-535-8211) or visit the planning department’s website: https://www.schuylercountyny.gov/484/Planning.
Anyone who suspects they may have been the victim of fraud may also contact local law enforcement agencies, including the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office at 607-535-8222, the New York State Attorney General's Office Consumer Frauds Bureau at 1-800-771-7755, or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint.
The Schuyler County Planning Director provides land use guidance to the county's municipalities, its legislature, and the public. The County Attorney is the chief legal advisor for county government and is responsible for the prosecution and defense of civil actions brought by and against the county.
