RACINE COUNTY— Racine County is alerting the public to a scam that has recently affected individuals with pending applications for zoning changes, variances, land use amendments, and conditional use permits in other Wisconsin municipalities.

In these cases, applicants listed in public hearing packets posted online were contacted by scammers posing as county officials. The fraudulent emails came from unofficial addresses and included fake invoices requesting payment by wire transfer for fees such as “administrative costs,” “compliance assessments,” and “processing charges,” some totaling nearly $5,000.

At this time, Racine County has not received reports of this scam targeting applicants within our jurisdiction. However, in an effort to protect our residents and municipal partners, we urge everyone involved in planning and permitting applications to remain cautious.

Racine County does not request payment by wire transfer for any zoning, land use, or development-related services. All payments are processed securely through verified methods, and no one should feel pressured to act quickly based on an unsolicited email.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND WHAT TO DO:

• Watch for unofficial email addresses. Official messages from Racine County Development Services will always come from an address ending in @racinecounty.com.
• Be wary of unexpected attachments or payment demands. Even if the email appears legitimate, take a moment to verify it.
• Do not respond or send payment in response to any invoice you were not expecting.
• Verify all suspicious communications by calling Racine County Development Services at 262-886-8440 or emailing rcpublicworks@racinecounty.com.
• Report scam attempts to the Racine County non-emergency line at 262-886-2300.
• If you believe you have been targeted or defrauded, report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at www.datcp.wi.gov.

For official zoning and conditional use permit application information in Racine County, visit: www.racinecounty.com/development-services