Fort Collins warns of development-review scam

FORT COLLINS — City planners are warning people or businesses applying for consideration of development projects in Fort Collins that scammers are sending emails falsely claiming to represent the city and asking for money.

“We have recently become aware that scammers are scraping development-review applicant information from our website and crafting fake emails that look like they come from us, requesting applicants wire fees to them directly,” Fort Collins’ Planning and Zoning Commission wrote in its most recent newsletter. “We are working to prevent this, including removing applicant emails from the public side of our Citizen Portal.”

Planners said any requests for payment will only ever come from a “fortcollins.gov” email domain, and advised applicants to “look out for emails requesting higher fees than you anticipated or that seem to come from the Planning and Zoning Commission rather than the staff you know are assigned to your application.”

Applicants are advised to only submit payments by check dropped off or mailed to 281 N. College Ave., or by credit card on the city’s Citizen Portal, never by wire transfer or credit card on a different site.

Scam emails can be forwarded to [email protected] so the city can track them.

Share on Facebook on LinkedIn