Westminster, MD, Friday, August 28, 2026 – It has recently come to the attention of Carroll County Government (CCG) that citizens, zoning applicants, and others have been targeted by scammers sending emails that appear to come from Carroll County Government (CCG).

As shared by the Sheriff’s Office earlier today, please use caution when opening any email claiming to be from CCG. Official county email addresses only end in .gov. For example: name@carrollcountymd.gov.  Email addresses such as name@carrollcountymd.gov.usa or name@carrollcountymd.gov@usa.com are not valid county email addresses.

CCG departments will never ask applicants, citizens, or payees to wire money to any account. If a payment is required, it must be made by cash, check, or money order payable to the Carroll County Commissioners. Certain payments, such as personal property tax, real estate tax, general billing (that is initiated in the Comptroller Department) and utility bills, may be made online through the county’s website.

Also, double check meeting dates. If you have a meeting scheduled for a particular day and time and it does not coincide with the message received, that is another indication the email is fraudulent.

If you are unsure about any communication you have received, please call Carroll County Government directly at 410-386-2400, contact the county representative you are working with or contact the Comptroller’s office at 410-386-2085 to verify its legitimacy.

For more information about scams and how to avoid potential fraud, please visit https://sheriff.carrollcountymd.gov/scam-prevention-education.