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County staff warns applicants of a wire‑transfer scam tied to permit fees; officials urge sheriff referral
Summary
During public comment on July 9, a county staff member reported that at least one land‑use applicant was solicited to wire $5,000 to a fraudulent account and urged other applicants to report the incident to the sheriff; county staff said all official fees are published and paid through county channels.
A Franklin County staff member told commissioners during public comment on July 9 that a conditional‑use applicant had been solicited to send $5,000 by wire transfer to an account that was not the county. The staff member said the prospective payer brought the request to the county office and county staff identified it as a scam; staff advised the applicant to report the incident to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
"She wanted to pay the payment. We told her it was a scam, told her to follow‑up with the sheriff's department to file a complaint," the staff member said. The staff member told the commissioners that other applicants appear to have received similar solicitations and that the planning department was contacting them to ensure they had not sent funds.
Why this matters: unauthorized payment requests can lead to financial loss for residents and erode public trust; the county emphasized that all permit fees are published and that legitimate county payments would not be requested by wire transfer to private accounts.
County Administrator Danzel told the board staff would issue a public notice and recommended a press release to alert citizens and local media. Commissioners agreed the county should notify constituents and suggested that planning staff and the treasurer’s office coordinate a public‑facing advisory explaining correct payment channels.
Ending: County staff said it would contact other applicants, recommend victims file complaints with the sheriff’s office and circulate a public notice clarifying how and where to pay county application fees; no formal board action was taken.
