Local government / Bellingham
Uptick in scam emails targeting permit applicants
We’ve noticed an uptick in the number of scam emails Bellingham permit applicants have reported receiving since we first reported on a national phishing scheme in April. If you receive an email prompting you to make a payment related to a permit, please remember: The Permit Center will only ask you to make online payments through our eTRAKiT system.
City of Bellingham news reported the following in its 2026-09-10 newsletter. This article covers the “Uptick in scam emails targeting permit applicants” section.
We’ve noticed an uptick in the number of scam emails Bellingham permit applicants have reported receiving since we first reported on a national phishing scheme in April. If you receive an email prompting you to make a payment related to a permit, please remember: The Permit Center will only ask you to make online payments through our eTRAKiT system.
These emails are tricky. They could include specific details related to your permit application — details they are getting from publicly-available documents. Additionally, the sender email addresses look very similar to those of real Permit Center team members.
Learn what to do if you receive a suspicious email about your permit application on our Permit Center page .
Read the public source
City of Bellingham news →Source publication: Sep 10, 2026
Source checked: Sep 26, 2026
Brief prepared: Sep 26, 2026
Automatically prepared from the linked public source. Source-digest highlights are quoted excerpts, not independent reporting. Dates and claims remain those of the source.
