Fake permit invoices target Boise applicants. How to verify payment requests

Boise homeowners, builders, contractors, developers and other permit applicants are being warned about forged invoices that can look authentic because scammers copy details from public planning and development records.

The Idaho Office of the Attorney General issued the warning on June 29, 2026, after planning departments in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell reported the scheme. BoiseDev provided local coverage on July 14.

Why the fake requests can look real

According to the Attorney General, fraudulent emails and invoices may include real project addresses, contractor names, employee names, city logos and other details connected to legitimate planning or development applications.

Accurate information does not prove that a payment request came from Boise or another local government office. Scammers may copy public records specifically to make a forged request appear credible.

The messages may also create urgency by threatening project delays or cancellation unless payment is made immediately. Applicants should pause rather than pay through instructions supplied only in an unexpected message.

Payment methods that should raise concern

Officials specifically identified wire transfers, gift cards and payments through cryptocurrency ATMs as serious warning signs. Boise Planning and Development Services Director Maureen Brewer said the city will not request payment by wire transfer for planning application or permitting fees.

That guidance is specific to Boise planning and permitting fees. It does not mean every electronic payment request is fraudulent. The safer approach is to independently verify an unexpected request through the city’s established channels before sending money.

How Boise applicants can verify a request

Use the official City of Boise Planning and Development Services website to locate current contact information, online service options and payment instructions. Do not click links or use a phone number, email address or payment instruction included only in the suspicious message until the request has been checked.

Contact the department independently and ask whether the invoice, amount and payment instructions are valid. A request that contains real project information still needs to be confirmed through an official Boise channel.

What to do after a suspected scam

Preserve the email, attached documents, payment instructions, invoices, payment records and related messages. If money or personal information was sent, contact the financial institution promptly and ask what steps may be available.

Suspected fraud can also be reported through the Idaho Attorney General’s consumer-protection resources, which provide state and federal reporting options. The key step is to verify before paying: a realistic-looking permit request may have been built from public information rather than issued by the city.

Sources

• Idaho Attorney General consumer alert
• City of Boise Planning and Development Services
• BoiseDev local report