HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) announced on the department’s social media page that someone has been trying to impersonate the Community Development Department with fake invoices. These emails are being sent to individuals who have applied for land use approvals through Community Development.

According to HPD, this is a pay scam likely attempting to get a wire payment from the victim and is not legitimate. The email below is what was sent to the victim, and he contacted Community Development before sending any money.

Scam email. Photo credit: Harrisonburg Police Department.

Note the sender email is “Planning.CityOfHarrisonburgVA@usa.com”. Real email addresses for city employees and city departments end in “@harrisonburgva.gov“.

If you receive a suspicious email, check the sender email, look for grammar and punctuation mistakes, be aware of any threats or sense of urgency, and verify what is being asked of you. If you have recently submitted an application through Community Development and have received an unexpected invoice, please contact the office directly at 540-432-7700.