By Josh McKnight | The McKnight Team
Delaware County officials are warning residents and property owners about a phishing scheme. Criminals are posing as county and municipal planning and zoning departments. Their goal is simple: get you to pay a permit fee that does not exist, and get you to pay it fast.
The Delaware County permit scam works because it looks real. The emails can include your actual property address, case numbers, application details and the names of real officials.
How the Fake Permit Emails Work
The scammers pull from publicly available information. Permit applications and zoning cases leave a paper trail, and that trail gives criminals the details they need to sound official.
The messages can include professional looking letterhead and invoices. They come from nongovernmental email domains. They also push urgency, warning that your permit will be delayed if you do not pay right away. That urgency is the tell. A real permit office does not threaten you into same day payment by email. The details can be convincing too, because they come from your own application.
Delaware County says legitimate county employee emails generally come from addresses ending in @co.delaware.pa.us. The county advises checking any questionable message by contacting the department through the official county website. Do not use the phone number or link in the suspicious email.
What the Delaware County Permit Scam Actually Targets
This is not a random blast. It goes after people with real, active projects. That means homeowners doing the right thing by pulling permits. The more careful you are about permits, the more likely your name shows up in the records these scammers read.
Set that against what the numbers show right now. The typical Delaware County home value is $366,541, up 2.7% over the past year, per Zillow data through August 31, 2026. There were 1,310 homes for sale at the end of August and 562 new listings that month. The July median sale price was $355,567, and homes went to pending in a median of about 10 days.
An active market. Active projects. Plenty of targets. At a 10 day pace, a seller has little time to untangle a problem once a buyer is under contract.
Why Sellers and Buyers Are Exposed
Sellers are often racing a deadline. A new roof, a deck or a finished basement may need a permit closed out before settlement. That pressure is exactly what the scammers count on. A fake notice threatening a delay can push a seller to pay fast, just to protect a closing date.
Buyers are exposed after closing. New owners often start projects in the first few months, and a fresh permit application puts their details in the public record. A convincing invoice arriving in that window can feel routine, especially when you are already paying contractors and moving costs. Settlement costs, movers and contractor deposits all land in the same few weeks.
Contractors can be targets too, but the homeowner usually carries the cost of a missed step. Both things can be true: most permit notices are legitimate, and every one of them deserves a second look before you pay. Landlords face the same risk on every rental they renovate, and the more properties you own, the more records carry your name.
If you have a neighbor in the middle of a renovation, send them this before the next invoice lands.
What This Means for You
If you are preparing to sell, confirm every permit fee directly with your municipality before you pay anything. Keep copies of receipts, because buyers and title companies may ask for proof that permits were closed. If you are buying, expect some official mail after closing, and verify each request through the official county or township website before you send money. When in doubt, pick up the phone and call the office yourself.
A clean permit history makes a home easier to sell. The Media community guide covers the market in the county seat. We can help you sort out which permits matter before you list.
Thinking about buying or selling in Delaware County? Let’s talk.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Delaware County Permit Scam
How can I tell if a Delaware County permit email is real?
Check the sender. Delaware County says legitimate county employee emails generally end in @co.delaware.pa.us. If anything seems off, contact the department through the official county website, not through the links or phone numbers in the email.
Can this scam affect my home sale?
It can delay one. Sellers under pressure to close out a permit are easy targets for fake urgency. Paying a fake fee also leaves the real permit issue unresolved, which a buyer may flag before settlement.
What should I do if I already paid a fake permit fee?
Contact your bank or card issuer right away to try to stop the payment. Then file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and alert the county or township office that was impersonated.
Is the county doing anything about the scam?
Delaware County issued a public warning and is directing residents to verify messages through official channels. Victims can file complaints with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, which tracks online fraud like this.
