Phishing scam targets Minneapolis permit applicants
The City of Minneapolis and the FBI are warning that scammers are targeting people with active city land-use permits and zoning applications by emailing fake invoices for "extra" fees and threatening delays or cancellations if they don’t pay immediately. Officials say they’ve identified at least 15 scam emails over the past year, with senders posing as city or county planning staff, copying Minneapolis branding, and using look‑alike addresses ending in @usa.com instead of the city’s official @minneapolismn.gov domain. The city stresses it will never demand payment via PayPal, wire transfer, gift cards or similar electronic methods, and says it has no confirmed victims so far in Minneapolis. Residents, developers and contractors who receive suspicious emails are urged not to click links or open attachments and to report the messages by calling 311. The FBI notes the scheme is part of a broader national trend of fraudsters piggy‑backing on legitimate government processes to shake down applicants for bogus fees.
📌 Key Facts
- Scam emails are targeting people with active City of Minneapolis land‑use permits or zoning applications, demanding bogus extra fees.
- City officials have identified at least 15 such phishing emails over the last year but say they are not yet aware of any confirmed local victims.
- Legitimate Minneapolis communications will come from @minneapolismn.gov and the city will not request payment via PayPal, wire transfer, gift cards or similar methods; residents are told to report suspicious emails to 311.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, over 193,000 individuals in the United States reported encountering phishing attacks to authorities.
U.S. phishing victim numbers 2024 — Statista
Reports to the FTC of impersonation scams have increased more than four-fold since 2019, with older adults (aged 60 and over) losing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per incident in many cases.
FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase in Reports of Impersonation Scammers Stealing Tens and Even Hundreds of Thousands from Older Adults — Federal Trade Commission
Women accounted for 65% of self-reported scam victims in the United States.
Scam Statistics By Attack, Effect, Trends and Facts (2026) — ElectroIQ
Millennials and Gen-Z internet users (aged 18-40) are most likely to fall victim to phishing attacks, with 23% reporting incidents compared to 19% of Generation X users.
The Latest Phishing Statistics (updated October 2025) — AAG IT Services
In 2024, victims reported $16.6 billion in cyber fraud losses in the United States, marking a 33% increase from 2023, with phishing as the most reported method.
2025 Phishing Statistics: (Updated January 2026) — Keepnet Labs
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