The Baldwin County Commission is warning property owners and professionals involved in Planning & Zoning cases about fraudulent emails that may attempt to collect permit payments or obtain financial information.

The commission said it has received several reports of fraudulent emails connected to active Planning Commission cases. The messages may include legitimate case numbers, property information or other publicly available details in an effort to make fraudulent payment requests appear credible.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3, issued a nationwide Public Service Announcement in March 2026 warning about similar fraud targeting planning, zoning and permitting applicants across the country.

The Baldwin County Commission said it only accepts permit payments through its official CitizenServe Portal at www.BaldwinCountyAL.gov/CSP or in person at Baldwin County office locations. The commission does not request wire transfers at any time.

Anyone who receives an email directing them to make a permit payment through another method should not send money or provide financial information, according to the commission.

Applicants who receive a questionable payment request are encouraged to independently contact the Baldwin County Commission to verify whether the request is legitimate. Suspected fraud should also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.

The commission is reminding residents and professionals that an email containing accurate case or property information is not necessarily legitimate. Fraudsters may use publicly available information to make scam messages appear authentic.