FBI Warns Scammers Target Stuart Permit Applicants with Fake Invoices

Stuart residents and property owners applying for planning and zoning permits are being targeted by a phishing scheme in which criminals impersonate city and county officials to demand fraudulent wire transfer payments, the FBI warned Monday.

Victims have been identified across the country and specifically in Stuart. Scammers are using publicly available permit records to identify potential targets and lend credibility to their fraudulent invoices — meaning applicants who have recently submitted or are actively pursuing a permit application are at particular risk.

The City of Stuart does not request or accept payment by wire transfer for any permit or application fee. Residents who have received correspondence containing an invoice for a planning and zoning application or a project review accompanied by wiring instructions should call the city directly at (772) 288-5328 before taking any action.

The scheme exploits the routine nature of permit fee payments, which often involve multiple transactions and communication with various government offices, making fraudulent outreach harder to detect. Criminals mine publicly posted permit data — routinely searchable through city and county databases — to tailor their solicitations with accurate project details.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a national public service announcement about the scam on March 9. Anyone who believes they may have been contacted by scammers or has already submitted a wire payment in response to such an invoice should file a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov in addition to contacting the City of Stuart.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.