Western Slope
San Miguel permit fees should not come by wire-transfer email
A Porch Note from Colorado Porch — plain-English local details for all 64 Colorado counties.
An email lands asking you to wire your permit fees right away. In San Miguel County, that is your cue to stop, because the county will never send a message like that.
Planning and Building fees are taken directly through SmartGov, or by check or cash. A wire transfer is never part of the official path, so an email demanding one is a red flag no matter how official it looks. Anything suspicious is worth a quick call to county staff before you click a single link.
The setup is what makes the trick work. A building, land-use, or rental project can have owners, architects, contractors, property managers, and county staff all trading messages at once. When money is already in motion and everyone is busy, a forged payment request slips in looking like just another to-do, especially if it names the right project or person.
A few simple habits keep you clear. Pay only through the county’s official channels, glance at the sender’s address to confirm it really uses the county domain, and phone the office whenever something feels off rather than replying to the email itself. A scammer counts on hurry, so the cure is mostly slowing down. Permit Central and the Planning page spell out how payments are actually handled if you want to double-check.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.