Scammers impersonating Chesterfield government, asking residents for money

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Fraudsters posing as members of Chesterfield County's Planning Commission are trying to scam money out of county residents.

On Friday, Aug. 22, county officials issued a press release warning the public of an email scam that's currently circulating in Chesterfield.

Per the release, scammers posing as the Planning Commission are emailing residents and asking for a "conditional use approval fee."

While these emails contain skimmed information from publicly available zoning documents, making them appear authentic on a first glance, they are not associated with the county at all.

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The email address associated with this scam is "planning.chesterfield.gov@usa.com," which is not an official county email address. All official county emails come from addresses that end in "@chesterfield.gov."

Further, the county said it never sends out emails asking for payments via wire transfer, credit card or Automated Clearing House (ACH). If you're ever unsure, you can verify any county invoice by calling 804-748-1000.

"As with many of these types of phishing situations, the emails are intended to cause a panic response in order to spur a quick reaction," the county said in the release.

If you receive an email like this, do not respond to it or send any money. Instead, contact the Planning Department at 804-748-1050.

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If you have already sent these scammers funds, or if you think you've been the victim of any scam, you are encouraged to contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 804-748-1251.