PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There is no shortage of scams in your email inbox, but one that’s appeared in Philadelphia in the last several months targets professionals with business before public agencies.
Scammers often pose as public agencies like the IRS and toll collectors. They’re entities the general public deals with, so the schemes can be blasted to anyone in hopes of finding the gullible. But targeting people requesting zoning changes or building permit approvals — that is a fairly select and savvy audience.
Jerry Roller, the founding principal of JKRP Architects, was preparing to present to the Historical Commission about a commercial development on Walnut Street, when he got a letter demanding a payment for the hearing.
“It seemed odd. We’ve done a number of projects that go through the Historical Commission and never had a payment. It’s all part of the building permit,” Roller said.
Roller didn’t pay. He learned pretty quickly that this was a scam focusing on zoning and planning agencies. That means the scammers are targeting lawyers and other professionals who make a living going before those agencies.
It doesn’t appear anyone locally has actually paid, but the Historical Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment have sent warning letters to everyone with business coming before them, so it’s unlikely to work in the future.
Complaints have come in as recently as last month. Other jurisdictions have reported the problem too.
“I mean, they’re obviously reading the agenda; it’s a public agenda for what’s been filed and then, I guess, get the contact information and send this out. I mean, it is strange,” Roller said.
