Scammers are sending fake invoices to Hilliard residents and business owners who applied for zoning variances, the city warned Thursday, Oct. 8.

The fraudulent notices appear to come from the City of Hilliard and claim payment is required before a variance case can be heard, according to 10TV. The notices demand money by wire transfer.

The city said scammers appear to be pulling applicant information from public hearing records and case files posted online. Variance cases in Hilliard go before the Board of Zoning Appeals, and application details are part of the public record.

The city stressed one key rule: Hilliard will never ask anyone to pay a filing fee by wire transfer.

Applicants who filed through the city's OpenGov portal may receive legitimate emails with payment instructions for filing fees. Those emails come through the portal itself and will not demand a wire transfer, the city said.

The city's planning division website also warns residents about phishing emails in which scammers impersonate city officials and request payment for planning or zoning permits.

The city said all city planning and zoning application fees are paid through the OpenGov portal tied to the application a resident created and submitted. The city will not send an unexpected invoice for an application someone did not initiate.

Anyone who receives a suspicious invoice should take three steps: do not send money, do not respond to the request, and call the Hilliard Planning Division at 614-334-2444 to verify.

The planning division is located at 3800 Municipal Way and can also be reached by email at [email protected].