The City of Ottumwa is warning residents and business owners about a scam involving criminals posing as City Planning and Zoning officials and demanding fraudulent permit payments.
The FBI has reported similar scams across the country, and Ottumwa City staff have confirmed at least one attempted scam in the area.
According to the City, scammers are using publicly available permit information — including property addresses, case numbers and the names of actual officials — to make fraudulent emails appear legitimate. The emails may demand payment through wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment apps or cryptocurrency.
In the Ottumwa case, the scam email appeared to come from the “City of Ottumwa City Planning Commission” and referenced a legitimate permit application. The recipient was instructed to respond by email rather than calling to verify the request. The email, however, came from an address that was not an official City of Ottumwa domain.
City officials remind residents that permit fees will not be requested by email, and the City will never require payment exclusively through a wire transfer, payment app or cryptocurrency.
Anyone who receives an unexpected permit invoice or payment request should not click on links or send money.
Residents can verify a permit or payment request by contacting the City of Ottumwa Planning and Development Office at 641-683-0650 or 641-683-0610.
