Wire Transfer Scam Alert for Land Use Project Applicants

La Plata County is notifying residents and land use project applicants of an active scam involving fraudulent requests for wire-transfer payments. Individuals involved in the planning and development process have been targeted after scammers obtained applicant information from publicly available meeting agenda packets.

The scammers are sending letters that falsely appear to be issued by La Plata County. These letters instruct recipients to send wire-transfer payments to the Auburn Credit Union in Auburn, Alabama. The documents unlawfully use the La Plata County logo, list the Community Development Department's address, and provide fabricated contact information for the alleged Director of the "La Plata County Planning Commission."

• The County is contacting those in the planning process to alert them of this scan
• The County has alerted the Sheriff's Office to institute an investigation into the scam
• The County is posting this scam on the County's website and social media outlets

How to Protect Yourself in this or other scam situations

Verify Email Addresses and Domains

• Ensure communications claiming to be from La Plata County come from the correct domain: @lpcgov.org. Any variation-including hyphens, added letters, or alternate spellings-should be treated as suspicious.

Confirm Unexpected Requests

If you receive an unexpected request involving permit or fee payments or a request for duplicate payments, please contact the County directly using verified phone numbers or email addresses from your county contact or the county's website.

Avoid Clicking Suspicious Links

• Hover over links to inspect the actual URL.
• Do not click links or download attachments from unfamiliar or questionable sources.

Report Suspicious Activity

If you believe you have received fraudulent communication:

• Do not respond to the sender.
• Do not provide any information.
• Report the incident to La Plata County immediately.

Stay Alert for Social Engineering Tactics

Scammers often use:

• Urgent or time-sensitive language
• Unusual payment instructions
• Poor grammar or inconsistent tone
• Requests that bypass normal procedures

When in doubt, pause and verify.

If you need assistance or wish to report suspicious communication, please contact La Plata County through the verified contact information listed on www.lpcgov.org or by phone at 970-382-6210.