Sussex County warns of scam
Sussex County has learned of a scam in which people who have applied for variances or other approvals are getting fraudulent bills, which some say are as high as $4,800.
County Communications Director Chip Guy said in a Dec. 16 email that the amounts requested through the scam have varied.
“When we become aware of such efforts, as we did in this case, our IT department notifies the Delaware State Police Cybersecurity Team, as well as the service provider with which a suspect domain is registered,” Guy said.
“Additionally, we have advised law offices and engineering firms, in particular, to be on the lookout and exercise caution, as those are the ones typically filing applications and making payments in our planning & zoning office,” Guy added.
This is just the latest in a long line of scams over the years, Guy said.
“The county is aware of these kinds of scams, which pop up from time to time,” he said. “Frankly, bad actors have been employing a variety of telephone and web-based grifts for years, with the fake sheriff scam, utility payment ploys and now this most recently.”
The fraud is frustrating to county officials, Guy said.
“Unfortunately, scams abound, and Sussex County is far from immune to these kinds of nefarious attempts,” he said. “Where, why and how they’re occurring in order to track them down and stop them is a bit akin to whack-a-mole.”
Sussex County does not send unsolicited email messages demanding payment, Guy said. Those utilizing land-use services pay at the time of application, not after the fact or to further advance an application, he said.
That initial payment triggers the process for land-use services, such as conducting plan review and scheduling public hearings.
Anyone receiving such an email should never click on the provided links, and should immediately contact the county planning & zoning offices at 302-855-7878 to report receipt of the suspicious correspondence, Guy said.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
