Prince William County Warns About Fraudulent Emails Impersonating Planning Office

Prince William County is warning residents, businesses and development applicants about fraudulent emails that falsely claim to be from Prince William County’s Planning Office or Planning Commission. 

The scam emails may appear legitimate because they use publicly available information to mimic official county communications. In some cases, recipients may be asked to submit payments or provide financial information related to planning applications or services. 

The Prince William County Planning Office and Planning Commission will never request payments by wire transfer, credit card or Automated Clearing House (ACH) through email. All official county email communications are sent from addresses ending in @pwcgov.org. 

To help protect against fraud, applicants and residents should: 

• Verify the sender’s email address. Official county emails will always come from an address ending in @pwcgov.org. 

• Be cautious of payment requests. Do not respond to emails requesting payment through wire transfer, credit card or ACH. 

• Confirm invoices directly with the county. Contact the Planning Office before making any payment if you have questions about an invoice or request. 

• Report suspicious communications. Contact the Planning Office immediately if you receive a message that appears fraudulent. 

Residents and businesses who have questions about an email's authenticity should contact the Prince William County Planning Office at 703-792-7615 before responding, providing personal information or making any payment. 

Anyone who receives a suspicious email claiming to be from the Prince William County Planning Office or Planning Commission is encouraged to report it to the Prince William County Police Department through its Online Reporting System at pwcva.gov/onlinereport. 

For more information about Prince William County Planning Office services, visit pwcva.gov/planning.