AUBURN, Ala.- Residents and businesses in Auburn are being cautioned about a nationwide phishing scheme where local planning and zoning departments are being impersonated through fraudulent emails that request illegitimate payments for permits, applications or other items of business.

The City of Auburn asks residents and businesses to verify whether correspondence is legitimate by paying attention to the following items:

• Make sure the email comes from the City’s official URL, auburnal.gov.
• The City of Auburn will never ask you to make a wire transfer payment or to pay in cryptocurrency. All legitimate fee payments are made directly through the City’s permit portal.
• The City of Auburn will never instruct you to only communicate with us via email.

It is possible that fraudulent emails may contain accurate information about a permit or application from publicly available data. If you have any doubt of the legitimacy of an email or payment request, please contact the Planning Services Department at 334-501-3040.

Fraudulent emails may be reported to Auburn Police for investigation by calling our non-emergency number at 334-501-3100. For more information, please visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center.