Beaufort County Government has been made aware of a phishing scam targeting contractors, businesses, and residents in eastern North Carolina.

Scammers are using information gathered from public documents to create fake invoices, which they email to individuals and organizations involved in construction projects, permit applications, and other county-related processes. These fraudulent invoices often appear legitimate because they use official branding and real employee names found in public records. They request payment by wire transfer — THIS IS A SCAM.

Scammers have been sending these emails from addresses ending in @usa.com.

• Do not click any links, download attachments, or reply to the sender.
• Delete the email immediately.

Beaufort County Government’s official email domain is @beaufortcountync.gov. Beaufort County does not accept payments via wire transfer.

If you are unsure whether you have an outstanding balance for County services, please contact the appropriate department directly:

• Administrative Offices: 252-946-0079
• Inspections: 252-946-7182
• Water Billing: 252-946-7721
• Tax Assessor: 252-946-7981
• Tax Collector: 252-946-2922

Please visit BeaufortCountyNC.gov for additional contact information.

If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, please call the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 252-946-0101.