Press release
The City of Batavia is alerting residents, contractors, and developers to a recent fraud alert issued by the New York State Department of State regarding planning and zoning applications.
State officials have reported that scammers are sending fraudulent invoices that appear to come from municipalities requesting payment for project review costs or referral fees tied to planning or zoning applications. These scams use publicly available information from planning board or zoning board filing including names, addresses, and project details to create convincing invoices
While this activity has been reported in communities across New York State, individuals or businesses involved in planning or zoning applications in the City of Batavia should remain vigilant. If you receive an unexpected invoice requesting payment related to a municipal application, do not submit payment until you verify the request directly with the City.
To protect yourself from fraud, the City of Batavia recommends the following precautions:
· Be cautious of unexpected invoices or payment requests related to planning or zoning applications.
· Verify any payment request directly with the City of Batavia before submitting payment.
· Review official City fee schedules to confirm legitimate charges.
· Report suspicious invoices or correspondence to City officials.
If you have questions about planning or zoning fees in the City of Batavia, please contact City of Batavia Department of Public Works directly before making any payment.
Additional guidance is available from the New York State Department of State Division of Local Government Services, which can be reached at 518-473-3355 or localgov@dos.ny.gov.
The City of Batavia encourages residents and applicants to remain cautious and report suspicious activity so we can help prevent fraud in our community.