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Resident reports targeted email scam; planning staff, police investigating and will increase outreach
Summary
A local real‑estate professional told the commission she and others received fraudulent emails asking for permit fees; staff said the police are investigating, the city has posted notices and will issue further guidance and packet instructions to reduce phishing risk.
A member of the public told the Oroville Planning Commission that she and several other permit applicants received fraudulent emails purporting to bill them for planning permits, and commissioners and staff discussed steps to warn and protect applicants.
Sharon Francis of Sharon Francis Real Estate told the commission that she received a scam email that appeared to reference a permit she had applied for and that the message looked legitimate — including references that suggested it came from the city planning department. “We got scammed,” she said, and described how the scammers used permit numbers and language that mimicked city communications.
Planning staff told commissioners the permit numbers in the scam messages do not correspond to any city records and that the city previously issued a public notice about the scam; the Police Department is investigating. Staff said the city has posted warnings on social media and can send another advisory, and suggested staff give in‑person guidance to applicants when they come to the counter. “If you get an email from us, it doesn’t come — we don’t give you bills that way,” staff said.
Commissioners asked whether applicant contact information could be redacted from published packets and whether staff could include a short memo in permit packets describing how the permitting process works and how the city will (and will not) bill applicants. Staff agreed to prepare written guidance and an additional public notice explaining the city’s permit processes and safe payment practices.
Why it matters: the scam targets people who have permit applications and uses publicly available agenda and packet information to craft plausible invoices; commissioners said clearer instructions at the counter, a written memo in packet materials, and additional public warnings could reduce the risk to local applicants.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with the Police Department on the investigation, issue another public advisory, and add guidance to permit intake materials explaining required payment channels and how to verify official city communications.
