PENNINGTON COUNTY, SD — The Pennington County Planning & Zoning Department is once again urging residents to be cautious, as reports of fraudulent emails impersonating the department continue to rise.
Citizens have reported receiving fake invoices and instruction-based emails that appear to be from Planning & Zoning staff. These messages are not legitimate and should be deleted immediately. The department does not email invoices and does not send unsolicited instructions regarding payments or services.
“These scam emails can look convincing, but we want residents to know they are not coming from our office,” said Brittney Hand, Director of Planning & Zoning. “We’re asking everyone to stay alert and not to click on links, download attachments, or follow instructions from these messages. When in doubt — reach out to us directly.”
Most official transactions with the Planning & Zoning Department are handled in person, and the office does not issue payment requests by email following commission meetings.
The Pennington County Information Technology team continues to investigate the issue and is working with the Sheriff’s Office to limit the impact on residents.
If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from the Planning & Zoning Department, delete it or contact the department to verify its legitimacy.
For more information or to report suspicious messages, contact the Pennington County Planning & Zoning Department at (605) 394-2186 or email plz@pennco.org.