Scammers are sending fraudulent invoices stamped with Sycamore Township's official name and logo to people who have applied for zoning permits, the township warned on its website on July 22.
The fake invoices list zoning fees and instruct recipients to pay electronically or contact the sender for payment instructions. Sycamore Township does not request electronic payment through mailed or emailed invoices. Its legitimate zoning process runs through an online system called Cloudpermit.
The township is urging anyone who receives a suspicious invoice to call 513-792-7250 before sending money. That number reaches the Planning & Zoning department at the Sycamore Township Government Complex, 8540 Kenwood Road, where Planning & Zoning Administrator Harry L. Holbert Jr. handles zoning inquiries.
The township's alert did not say how many applicants received the bogus invoices or whether anyone lost money.
Part of a broader pattern
Sycamore Township is not the only Ohio community hit. On July 13, the Union County Sheriff's Office posted a warning about the same scheme targeting Jerome Township residents in central Ohio. In that case, fake invoices appeared to come from the "Jerome Township Planning and development department" and requested wire transfer payments.
Law enforcement flagged several red flags common to these scams: misspelled words and poor grammar, unusual or incorrect dates (one invoice was dated "July 6 29/2026"), and requests to pay by wire transfer. In at least one documented case outside Ohio, scam emails included actual property addresses, owner names, and names of real town officials to appear legitimate.
The Union County Sheriff's Office advised residents not to use any contact information printed on a suspicious invoice. Instead, look up the agency's phone number independently.
Who to call
Sycamore Township's Planning & Zoning office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The verification line is 513-792-7250.
Residents who believe they have been targeted can also contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, which patrols Sycamore Township. The District Three non-emergency dispatch number is 513-825-2280, and the District Three office line is 513-683-3444.
