Monroe Township warns of scam targeting zoning and construction applicants with fake invoices
Monroe Township, NJ – Officials in Monroe Township are alerting residents and business owners to a sophisticated scam involving fraudulent invoices being sent to individuals who have recently submitted applications to the Planning, Zoning, or Construction Departments.
The scam involves fake invoices that closely mimic official Township correspondence — complete with the municipal logo, names of real staff members, actual meeting dates, and valid application numbers. These bogus documents are being used to demand large payments via wire transfer, falsely claiming the funds are needed to process applications or schedule board hearings.
The fraudsters appear to be pulling accurate details from publicly available Planning and Zoning Board agendas posted online. In some cases, they use spoofed email addresses that closely resemble legitimate municipal domains to carry out the deception.
The Township emphasized that it never requests or accepts payments for Planning, Zoning, or Construction-related matters via wire transfer, credit card, or cash. All legitimate payments must be made by check or money order, either in person or by mail, and only to the official addresses listed by the Township.
Monroe officials say the scam has already affected other municipalities and are issuing this warning proactively to prevent local victims. Anyone who receives a suspicious invoice is urged not to respond, not to send any funds, and to report the attempt immediately.
Residents can contact the Construction Office at 732-656-4585 or the Planning & Zoning Office at 732-521-4400 to verify any payment-related inquiries. Incidents should also be reported to the Monroe Township Police Department.
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Key Points
- Monroe Township warns of a scam targeting zoning and construction applicants with fake invoices
- Scammers use real municipal data and spoofed emails to request wire transfers
- Officials stress that only checks or money orders are accepted, in person or by mail
