HUMBOLDT COUNTY — November 7, 2026. Humboldt County agencies are warning property owners and well-permit applicants about fraudulent emails demanding a supposed $5,960 application fee. The county says no such standard default fee is required and urges recipients not to send payments or personal information.

How the emails work

Scammers impersonate a fictitious executive director of county planning and building administration. They refer to a real well-permit project and instruct the applicant to reply for payment details before a final permit can be issued. The specificity of a project reference can make an email seem credible, but it is not evidence that the sender represents the county.

County systems not reported breached

According to a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office bulletin shared November 6, the county’s security team found no evidence its system had been hacked. Officials believe scammers used publicly posted project information from a state clearinghouse.

What to do if you receive an invoice

Do not click suspicious payment links or send money to a private account. Check the status of your actual application by independently calling Humboldt County Planning & Building at 707-445-7541. The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone targeted or victimized to call 707-445-7251. The county says it does not demand large cash mailings, private-account wire transfers, gift cards or credit-card payments by telephone.

Source: Humboldt County Sheriff release via Lost Coast Outpost, November 6.

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM ACROSS CALIFORNIA

Support independent journalism for all Californians

Support reporting, public information and community coverage across California’s 58 counties.

Donate once by card ↗
Support independent California journalism Your contribution helps build and sustain independent community reporting across California.
Support California58

Choose how to support California58:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.
Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

USEFUL SERVICES

Useful services from our ecosystem

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

Travel smarter worldwide

OptionTrip

AI-powered trip planning for journeys in California and around the world.

Explore OptionTrip →

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

Free tax & property tools

TaxesTime

Free preliminary tax and property tools, including the Property Tax Savings Report.

Explore TaxesTime →

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

California document support

LegalDocSVC

Document preparation support for self-represented Californians. Not a law firm and not legal advice.

Explore LegalDocSVC →

WORK WITH CALIFORNIA58

Have a story, project or partnership idea?

California58 welcomes news tips, interviews, video projects, community partnerships, advertising and other California-focused collaborations.

Work with California58 →

COMMUNITY

Comments

Join the California58 conversation. You must be signed in to comment.