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The County of Santa Barbara has been made aware of a phishing scam currently circulating in which individuals are receiving fraudulent emails requesting a response and submission of fee payments. These emails are not legitimate and are not sent by the County of Santa Barbara or the Planning & Development Department.
Phishing is a form of online fraud where scammers impersonate trusted organizations to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or sending money.
This scam may involve emails that appear legitimate and include an attached or embedded “invoice” stating that a payment is due. The message is intended to create urgency and prompt recipients to click links, open attachments, or submit payment to a fraudulent source…