Scam emails demanding wire-transfer payments for permit fees are targeting Needham residents and business applicants, the Town of Needham warned Monday, Sept. 14.
The fraudulent messages impersonate the Planning and Community Development Department and use subject lines like "Settlement Required – Application Approval Fee Invoice for Special Permit," followed by a property address, according to the town's alert. The town first learned of the scam over the summer and said additional fake emails surfaced before the Sept. 14 warning.
The town stressed that the Planning Division does not request application fees by email and does not accept wire transfers. All legitimate payments go through official town channels, typically in person at the department's offices at 500 Dedham Ave.
No one has reported losses. Neither town has released a victim count or dollar figure, and no police investigation has been announced.
Red flags and a regional pattern
The emails mimic official town correspondence, but several red flags can help residents spot them. Needham's alert urged anyone who receives a suspicious message not to respond or send money.
Dedham issued a similar phishing warning on July 27 after scammers impersonated that town's staff and referenced applications before local boards, including the Planning Board. The Dedham scam went further, also targeting contractors and local businesses with fake requests for payment on permits, taxes and outstanding invoices.
In that case, fraudulent emails came from "[email protected]," which is not a legitimate Dedham address. Dedham advised residents to look for email domains with subtle character swaps, such as replacing an "O" with a zero or spelling "dornain" instead of "domain." Grammar mistakes and inconsistent formatting are also telltale signs.
No source has confirmed whether the Needham and Dedham scam campaigns are connected.
Dedham's alert carried the same core warning: the town will never request personal information, passwords or financial payments through an unsolicited email.
How to verify and report
Residents who receive a suspicious email about permit fees should not click any links or reply. Instead, call the Needham Planning and Community Development Department directly at 781-455-7550, ext. 72513, to confirm whether a payment is actually owed.
