Land Services warns of scam targeting county residents

Some property owners in Cook County have been the target of scammers impersonating the Land Services Department through email, according to a Sept. 26 press release issued by the county.

The scam emails were reported by people who have filed applications with the Land Services Department. The press release read, “We were informed by multiple citizens that they received an email impersonating a Land Services employee and asked for $7,000 via wire transfer for their variance. ”

Land Services Director Tim Nelson told WTIP that the recipients of the scam emails were people who had recently undergone the public hearing process, which makes the applicants’ contact and property information part of the public record. Those who have gone through the process, however, should not expect further contact from Land Services regarding additional payment, Nelson explained. Because permitting fees are paid to the department up-front, they do not request payments from residents who have already completed applications and permits. Nelson said, “At this point in time, we simply have no need to contact anyone for a late payment.”

Additionally, in the press release, the county said that Land Services will never issue payment requests via wire transfer, and instead use the E-Permitting system for collecting online payments.

According to Nelson, the department has reached out to residents who have gone though the public hearing process for their applications to warn them of the scam emails. He said that the scam emails can be ignored or deleted, but that if someone has questions, they should contact Land Services directly. The department can be reached at at 218-387-3630.

One way to recognize a potential scam email is to look closely at the sender’s email address. The press release advised, “Look for the correct email domain i.e. first name dot last name @co.cook.mn.us. The scammers used planning.co.cook.mn@usa.com which is close but the @usa.com is a red flag that folks should be aware of.”

Cook County residents are not the only Minnesotans being targeted by this type of scam. According to the press release, similar scams have been reported in other counties, as well.

Kirsten Wisniewski September 28, 2025