The City of Cheyenne is warning folks applying for building permits to watch their inboxes after several scam emails started circulating that look way too real, Wyoming Eagle Tribune reports.
According to the city’s Building Safety Division, crooks have been sending fake messages to permit applicants telling them to wire money as part of the application process. The problem? The city never asks people to send funds by wire — and definitely not by email.
City officials say the scam emails are designed to trick you into thinking they’re legit, but if you take a closer look you’ll see warning signs — including odd sender addresses or requests for payment that don’t match official procedures.
To stay safe, the city suggests:
Don’t wire money just because an email says to. Legit fees are handled through the official permitting portal or in-person.
Double-check any message that seems off, especially if the address doesn’t match what you’d expect from a Cheyenne government account.
When in doubt, contact the Building Safety Division directly — they can confirm whether a communication is real.
No reports yet on whether anyone’s actually lost cash to these scammers, but the city is pushing the alert early to keep people from falling for the trick.
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