E-mail Scam Alert: Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Messages

The Town of Brewster is warning residents following an increase in highly convincing scam emails impersonating local permitting and zoning offices. These messages use real staff names, official-looking logos, and detailed invoices to trick applicants into sending fraudulent payments.

The emails inform residents that their permit or application has been “approved pending payment” and request payment via wire transfers, ACH payments, or “settlement instructions” in the message. The scammers will use urgency, requesting you to reply directly to the message to get further payment details, insist that check payments are not accepted, and that delays could impact your permit. 

How to Protect Yourself: 

• Verify the sender. Check that emails come from an official government domain (e.g., .gov), not free public email services.
• Do NOT wire money based solely on an email request.
• Contact the appropriate office directly using the phone number on the Town’s official website, not the number provided in the email.
• Be cautious with invoices that appear out of nowhere or don’t match your expected fee schedule.
• Report suspicious messages immediately.
• Do NOT send payment.

Please report suspicious activity immediately to the Brewster Police Department at (508) 896-7011, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the Commonwealth Fusion Center at (508) 820-2233.

If you or someone you know is going through the permitting process in Brewster, please share this advisory to help spread awareness.