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The City of Santa Clara would like to alert residents, contractors, and businesses about an active nationwide permit fee phishing scam that began circulating in 2025 and has recently impacted communities across the Bay Area, including Santa Clara.
Scammers are sending emails that look like they’re from City or County staff, asking for additional payments or information. These messages may include real project details like permit application numbers, property addresses, or even staff names, in order to appear legitimate. Payment is typically requested through wire transfer, peer-to-peer apps, or cryptocurrency. These emails may also include attached invoices with payment instructions.
Please be aware that the City will never ask you to provide payment information via email, text, phone, direct transfer, or third-party links.
- Requests for immediate payment or threats of delays
- Email addresses that don’t end in “@santaclaraca.gov”
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Instructions to only respond by email instead of calling to verify
- If you have not applied for a permit from the City, ignore the email and do not respond.
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Do not click links, open attachments or send money if something seems suspicious. Instead, contact the City using the phone or email on the Permit Center webpage to verify the request.
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If you do have an active permit with the City, log into the City’s official Permitting Online Portal to verify your balance; only make payments through the Permitting Online Portal, in person at City Hall, or by mail.
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For wire transfers, the City requires you to contact the department that invoiced the fees (verify contact information on the City website) before initiating a wire transfer.
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