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LPA member and applicants targeted by wire‑transfer scam; town urges residents not to wire funds
Summary
An LPA member said she received emails and letters impersonating town staff that demanded wire transfers; town staff confirmed it will not request wire transfers, reported incidents to the sheriff, and asked residents to contact town hall if they receive suspicious requests.
During the meeting an LPA member described receiving multiple fraudulent emails that appeared to come from town staff and included wiring instructions and town branding.
Crystal Shola told the board she received two separate emails requesting payment and said the messages "totaled $8,590" and pressured her to wire the money within 12 hours. She said the messages looked official and used the town logo and language from the variance notice. "It was so real... it had the FMB logo," she said, describing the emotional stress of the fake demand.
Town staff and the chair told the LPA the town will never request funds by wire transfer. Staff reported the incidents to the sheriff's office, posted a public‑service announcement and encouraged anyone who receives such a request to contact the town clerk or the planning department. Another attendee said she had paid $3,993 in October after receiving a similar mailing but that staff later told her it was a scam and not to pay additional amounts.
Commissioners asked staff to broaden public notice and recommended that the town publish a clear advisory and encourage victims to report to law enforcement. Staff said they would coordinate outreach and escalate the matter to the sheriff's office and the town manager.
