Wayne County Planning Department warns of scam targeting application review and approval fees – Finger Lakes Times

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Updated: June 27, 2026 @ 1:15 pm
Pincelli
Pincelli
LYONS — The Wayne County Planning Department said it is warning town and village officials about “phishing” emails that impersonate county Planning Board members and staff seeking fraudulent payments.
The county Planning Department said the emails are requesting application review and approval fees that may appear to be legitimate, with documentation referring to existing proposals and using names of officials, board members, and relevant local law citation. The department added that the fraudulent messages may also include official-looking logos and templates to mislead recipients.
“Wayne County Planning does not require fees for application review or approval for any referral provided to us by the towns or villages,” said Brian Pincelli, executive director of the Wayne County Planning Department. “The county Planning Board and our personnel will never request payments through email using cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer payment apps, or wire transfers for planning board matters.”
According to the Planning Department, phishing emails may include, but are not limited to, senders with non-government domains, invoices directing recipients to reply by email for payment instructions, urgent language threatening delays or penalties, requests for payment by wire transfers, and cryptocurrency or payment apps.
The Planning Board said people should always check the email address and compare email addresses to previous correspondence prior to any action.
Anyone with questions about fees or payments should contact the Planning Department at 315-946-5933.
Pincelli

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