Town of Oak Island warns of fake invoice email scam

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The Town of Oak Island is warning the community about a new scam attempt targeting residents and property owners.

Scammers are using publicly available information skimmed from Zoning Applications and Public Hearing Notices, to generate fake permit approvals. They are then demanding payment of the fake invoices.

The emails claim the invoices must be paid in order to proceed with any permit approvals.

Any invoice sent by the town will include an invoice number which can be verified when speaking with a permit specialist.

Although the scam email may seem real at first, the email does not come from an official town email address, the email uses a fictional board or committee name, and it demands immediate payment.

The Town of Oak Island reminds residents to not be fooled by this and check the source of the email, never click on any download links, and do not forward any suspicious links.

If you believe you have fallen victim to this scam, contact the Oak Island Police Department at 910-295-5595.