West Baton Rouge Parish Government is warning residents and business owners about a scam involving fake emails that appear to come from the Parish's Community Planning & Development Department.

The fraudulent emails claim recipients owe fees for planning, zoning, or permitting applications and include fake invoices requesting wire transfers. Some messages use parish logos and unofficial email domains to appear legitimate.

Parish officials emphasized that the government does not request wire transfers for planning or zoning fees and does not send invoices from unofficial or third-party email domains.

The West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating the fraudulent attempts.

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Email

• Do not respond, click links, or open attachments
• Do not send money or provide financial information
• Delete the message
• Verify any planning, zoning, or permitting fees by contacting the Parish directly through the official website at wbrparish.org

Anyone who has received a suspicious email or has questions about legitimate Parish correspondence can contact the Parish through official channels listed on the Parish website.