Paso Robles warns residents about email invoice scams

March 26, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The city of Paso Robles is warning residents and businesses about scammers impersonating the city’s Planning and Community Development Department in emails that send fraudulent invoices.

Scammers are sending emails that reference a property address and/or project that can be pulled from the public information. The invoices appear in the emails as attached PDFs. The fraudulent invoices bill for various fees, according to the city.

The emails instruct the recipient to return a signed invoice and payment receipt via email. Scammers also falsely claim in the emails that payment is required to proceed with the application and public hearing process.

City officials instruct residents and businesses that receive these emails not to reply, click links or send payments. Additionally, email recipients should verify sender addresses carefully. 

Official city emails come from addresses ending in @prcity.com, not @usa.com. Scammers have been using planning.prcity@usa.com and Planning-Dpt.cityofelpasoderoblesca@usa.com to send emails.

The city of Paso Robles never asks residents to send money via wire transfer. For secure transactions and services, the public is instructed to use the Paso Permits Portal, or Accela, at: www.prcity.com/PasoPermits.