NEWPORT, R.I. — City officials are warning residents and businesses about a sophisticated scam targeting people with applications pending before Newport boards and commissions.
According to the city, scammers are sending emails that appear to come from the Newport Planning Commission, referencing legitimate applications listed on public dockets. The messages include fake invoices demanding payment for permit reviews or Planning Commission fees.
The emails often use official-looking city branding and instruct recipients to wire money to complete permit processing, officials said.
City leaders stressed that Newport will never request permit or application fees via wire transfer and will never ask applicants to send payments outside the city’s official systems.
“All official payments are processed through the city’s official payment systems or in person at city buildings,” officials said.
Residents and business owners are urged to be cautious and avoid responding to suspicious messages. If you receive a questionable invoice, do not send payment or reply to the email, the city warned.
Anyone who may have already paid a fraudulent invoice should immediately contact their bank and notify law enforcement.
The city said warning signs of the scam include invoices claiming to be from the “City of Newport Planning Commission,” requests for wire transfer payments, instructions to email for payment details, and sender addresses that do not come from official city domains such as @cityofnewport.com or @newportri.gov. Messages sent from generic email services like Gmail or USA.com may also be part of the scheme.
Anyone who receives a suspicious invoice is asked to contact the Newport IT Department at (401) 845-5400 or the Newport Police Department at (401) 847-1306.
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