Hollywood Permit Fee Scam: How to Protect Yourself
Scammers impersonate Hollywood planning officials in emails requesting permit fees via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment apps. The city only accepts payments through ACCELA.
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The City of Hollywood has alerted residents and businesses to a fraud scheme in which scammers impersonate planning officials and demand fees for land-use permits.
The criminals send emails that appear to come from city or county officials, citing specific permit numbers, zoning applications, or property addresses. They instruct recipients to pay via wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment apps, or cryptocurrency. The city does not accept any of these payment methods.
All Planning and Urban Design payments, including zoning applications, must go through ACCELA, the city's official system. The FBI has documented the scheme.
Residents who receive suspicious emails should contact their assigned planner or call the Planning and Urban Design department at 954.921.3471, option 2. For building permit questions, press option 1.
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Ethan Caldwell
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