Scammers posing as Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting are still emailing contractors, permit applicants and property owners with demands for money, and the department put out a fresh warning Oct. 30 (via City and County of Honolulu DPP).
The emails pretend to come from city or DPP officials and ask for payment on Notices of Violation or building permit applications. DPP says they can look convincing. They often carry city logos and official-looking documents, include real property or permit details, and sometimes use the name of DPP Director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna. The department shared an example that went to a permit applicant.
"We encourage everyone to pause and verify before responding or sending money," Apuna said. "If something seems suspicious, contact DPP directly."
She added a seasonal line: "The only thing these scammers should be getting this Halloween is caught."
DPP's list of red flags is short. Look at the full sender address, since real city email typically ends in honolulu.gov, and official notices may come through the city's HNL Build permitting system. Be wary of threats, tight deadlines and claimed fines. Don't click unfamiliar links or open attachments, and get to HNL Build through DPP's own website instead. Most important, "DPP will never request payment by wire transfer," the department said.
DPP takes payments online through HNL Build, which accepts credit cards, or by check made out to the City and County of Honolulu with the Notice of Order number included, mailed or dropped off at its offices. The department noted that impersonating a public servant is a crime under Hawaii law and that anyone doing it could face investigation and prosecution.
This isn't new. DPP warned about the scheme earlier this year, and Spectrum News Hawaii reported on it in June (Spectrum News Hawaii). The city's earlier alert described a fake Notice of Violation built on a DPP template and used to try to evict a tenant, and a fake invoice sent to an applicant with a pending Special Management Area permit. That invoice demanded an "Application Approval fee" by wire transfer and asked the applicant to communicate only by email, from a sender address ending in usa.com. DPP pointed out that Special Management Area fees are paid when the application is filed, and there's no approval fee.
The earlier alert also described people posing as inspectors who visited homes, offered to make violations go away for a fine, pushed residents to hire particular contractors and threatened to stop construction. DPP's advice: ask for a city ID badge, get the supervisor's name and number, and call DPP. At the time, Apuna said the scams were sophisticated, possibly using AI to doctor DPP documents and application information.
Honolulu isn't alone. In March, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center warned that criminals nationwide are impersonating city and county officials in phishing emails about planning and zoning permits (FBI IC3). The FBI said scammers pull targets from public permit records, cite real case numbers and addresses, and demand wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency while warning of permit delays. It recommends verifying any fee by calling the agency at the number listed on its official website and reporting scams at ic3.gov.
To check a request or report one in Honolulu, contact DPP at (808) 768-8000 or dpp@honolulu.gov.
Why it matters for Contractors
Permit records are public, so if you have an open permit or an active job, scammers can find your name, address and permit number. That's what makes these emails look real. And if you pull permits for clients, you might be the one they call when a fake violation notice lands in their inbox.
Set a simple office rule: nobody pays a permit fee or fine from an email link. Log in to HNL Build yourself or call DPP at the number on the city's website to confirm what's owed. Treat any request for a wire transfer as a scam, full stop. Tell your clients the same thing, and if someone shows up at a job claiming to be an inspector and steering work to a particular contractor, ask for ID and call DPP before anything else happens.