WARNING: Permit Fee Phishing Scam

The City of Weston is alerting residents, businesses, and contractors who have applied for, or are currently applying for, City permits about a nationwide phishing scheme flagged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Scammers are impersonating city and county officials to fraudulently collect permit-related fees from applicants. These criminals use publicly available permit information, including property addresses, case numbers, and the names of real local officials, to make their communications appear legitimate. Victims receive unsolicited emails containing professional-looking PDF invoices demanding payment by wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment apps (such as Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App), or cryptocurrency. The emails often create a sense of urgency, warning that failure to pay immediately may result in delays or complications with the applicant's permit.

To discourage victims from calling to verify, the emails typically instruct applicants to request payment information “by email only” not by phone. 

• The City of Weston will never solicit permit fee payments via an unsolicited email.  All legitimate fee information is provided through our official Epermits portal or in person.
  
  
• Always verify.  If you receive an unexpected email requesting payment for a permit or any fee or fine, call the City of Weston's Permitting Services at (954) 385-0500.
  
  
• Inspect the sender's email address carefully.  Official City of Weston emails will always come from a @westonfl.org domain. Be suspicious of any address that closely mimics this domain but does not exactly match it.
  
  
• Never pay via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payment apps** in response to an emailed invoice from any government office.
  
  
• Do not click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails claiming to be from a government agency.
  
  

If You Have Been Targeted

If you believe you have received a fraudulent email or have already sent payment in response to one, please take the following steps immediately:

1. Contact your bank or payment provider to report the transaction and attempt to reverse it.

2. File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at : ic3.gov

3. Notify the City of Weston by calling (954) 385-0500.

The City of Weston takes the security and trust of our community members seriously.
We are committed to keeping residents and businesses informed and protected.

For more information about this nationwide alert, visit the FBI's official advisory at: ic3.gov