Alpharetta Police Warn Residents and Developers About Fake City Invoices Tied to Permits and Public Hearing Applications

ALPHARETTA, GA — Alpharetta police are warning residents, businesses and developers about a scam that uses fake invoices and official-looking email messages to trick people into paying nonexistent city fees. The department said the messages appear to come from the city and may reference permits, services and public hearing applications.

Investigators say the scammers are pulling details from public records to make the emails look believable. In some cases, the messages may include city logos, staff names and project information that appear legitimate at first glance. Police said the goal is to get victims to send money or share information before they verify the request.

How the fake payment requests are being presented

Police said the fraudulent emails are designed to look like bills from the City of Alpharetta. They may include payment demands tied to community development or other city-related services, giving the impression that the recipient owes money for an active project or application.

Officials said the scammers may be monitoring public meeting agendas and using those records to identify people involved in local projects. That lets them target applicants with details that match real city business, which can make the requests seem routine rather than suspicious.

The department said similar scams have been reported at other local governments in the region, suggesting the tactic is not limited to Alpharetta. Police are working with law enforcement partners to look into the complaints and to help warn the public before more people are caught off guard.

Why public records make the fraud harder to spot

Police said the messages can appear convincing because they include information that is publicly available. That can mean project names, staff references or other details gathered from meeting materials and records that anyone can access.

Officials said that public information does not mean a demand is authentic. In this case, scammers are using it to imitate the language and structure of real city correspondence, which can make the emails seem official enough to pass a quick glance test.

The warning is aimed at anyone who may be waiting on approvals, permits or city services. Police said those people are especially vulnerable because they may already expect to hear from the city about fees or follow-up paperwork.

What Alpharetta says real city emails should look like

To help people sort out legitimate messages from fraudulent ones, police pointed to one key detail: official City of Alpharetta email addresses end in @alpharetta.ga.us. Anything that does not use that domain should be checked carefully before a payment is made.

The department also said the city does not use wire transfers to collect community development fees. That matters because one of the warning signs in scam emails is a request to send money in a way that is difficult to trace or reverse.

Police advised people to be careful with unexpected links and attachments as well. Even if an email appears to include the right names and project details, recipients should not assume it is genuine without confirming it directly with the city.

Steps residents and businesses should take before paying

Authorities said the safest approach is to verify any payment request with the city before sending money or personal information. If an email seems off, recipients should contact the city through a trusted phone number or known official channel rather than replying to the message itself.

Police said people should not respond to suspicious emails or send payment if they are unsure about the request. That caution is especially important when the message pressures the recipient to act quickly or includes unfamiliar instructions for handling fees.

Alpharetta Community Development can be reached at (678) 297-6070 for more information. Police are urging anyone who receives a suspicious message to treat it as a possible scam until it can be confirmed.

Law enforcement response and the wider warning

Alpharetta police said they are working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate the reports and track the scam’s spread. The department’s public warning is meant not only to alert potential victims in Alpharetta, but also to reduce the chances that the same tactic succeeds elsewhere.

The broader message from police is simple: even emails that include accurate project details can still be fake. Because scammers are borrowing language from public records, the usual signs of fraud may be less obvious, making direct verification the most important safeguard.

For residents, businesses and developers handling city matters, the warning is a reminder to slow down before paying any invoice that arrives unexpectedly. Police said caution, verification and skepticism about unsolicited payment requests remain the best defense.