Kittitas County Police Warning Public About Scam Involving Bogus Invoices

Police in Kittitas County are warning the public about a string of fraudulent communications they say are part of a scam intended to trick people into paying for services they never received.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says the scammers are sending their targets emails with attached invoices that include instructions on how to tender payment to the county's office of Community Development Services, which is responsible for the planning and permitting processes associated with new buildings in the county.

Investigators say the scammers are using publicly available information regarding legitimate applications for permitting to generate false invoices that appear to be real.

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Police say people should carefully scrutinize any such invoice they receive and look for clues like incorrect names of people associated with Community Development appearing on the letterhead of the bogus invoices and inaccuracies in the dates and other details of the associated application.

They add that Community Development will never ask for payment to their office in forms such as gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.

Anyone who receives an invoice from Community Development that wasn't expected or which looks in any way suspicious is strongly advised to contact the department using its publicly-listed phone number, email, or physical address before remitting payment.

Those who suspect they have received a fraudulent communication from Community Development are also being asked to file a report with the Sheriff's Office by calling 509-925-8534.