Town warns of scam ‘invoice’ messages

October 14, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Waterbury town officials say a new internet scam has targeted public information regarding development permits, sending applicants fake invoices for fees and requesting payments.

Town Planning Director Neal Leitner said it appears that permit application information is being used to generate fake invoices with an urgent request that the applicant pay by bank or wire transfer.

An alert posted on the town website on Tuesday and emailed to local residents explains: “Scammers may use real project, property, or application details to make their messages appear legitimate. These emails often create urgency and demand payment by wire transfer or ACH.”

Leitner said the matter came to his attention this week when he heard from an applicant who is seeking a real permit to build a shed, who said they received an invoice for $3,750.

Aside from the eye-popping fee amount, the messages appear “very professional,” Leitner said, with correct details pertaining to the project. The message he saw came from a fake email address that appeared to be a town contact, he noted.

Town officials stress that anyone receiving such an invoice should not click any links, reply to, or send any payments in response.

“Town of Waterbury employees will never demand permit payments through urgent email requests, wire transfers, or ACH instructions,” the alert states.

Permit fee payments are typically paid by check, credit card or cash, Leitner noted.

While the scam is new to Waterbury, Leitner said he has seen similar alerts from other municipalities in Vermont. “We don’t want people thinking these are real paying,” he said.

Anyone receiving such a message should contact the town department that it purports to come from to check on its authenticity. Leitner said it also would be helpful to inform Town Manager Graci Zeiger (gzeiger@waterburyvt.com).