A DeSoto County resident was already trying to get permit approval when an email that appeared to come from a county board arrived with payment instructions.
The message looked connected to the real permit process. Deputies say it was fake.
The victim paid $3,950 in what they believed were permit fees after receiving an email posing as the “DeSoto County Board of Adjustment,” according to WWSB.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office said the victim had already been seeking approval through the county’s Planning and Building Department, which made the email easier to trust.
The Fake Email Fit A Real Permit Situation
The victim was not being contacted out of nowhere about a prize, a warrant, or a bank account. They were already dealing with a real county office and waiting on a real approval.
In that moment, a payment request could sound like the next step. Deputies said the email used the name “DeSoto County Board of Adjustment,” and the victim sent $3,950 believing the money was going toward permit fees.
The Account Name Looked Like The County Board
Investigators said the money was deposited into a bank account named “DESOTO COUNTY-BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the account holder was identified as Jose Alfonso Dejesus of Miami. Deputies said Dejesus does not work for DeSoto County.
The account name may have looked official on the payment side, but it was not proof that the money was going to the county. In permit, zoning, and building cases, the payee should match the payment method confirmed by the county office, not just the wording inside an email.
A Detective Identified The Suspect By April
Detective Jason Baun was assigned to the case and identified Dejesus as the suspect by April, according to the sheriff’s office. An arrest warrant was issued charging Dejesus with scheme to defraud, less than $20,000. Deputies said he was later found and arrested in Winter Garden.
Permit Fees Should Be Checked Outside The Email
A homeowner, contractor, landlord, or business owner may already be expecting a permit fee, inspection update, zoning notice, or board decision. That is when a fake payment email can blend in with the real paperwork.
Before paying a new permit, inspection, zoning, or building fee, the payment request should be checked through the county website, the Planning and Building Department’s public number, or an in-person visit to the office. The phone number, account name, or payment link inside the email should not be the only verification.
If the email changes the payee, adds urgency, uses a slightly different county-board name, or sends money to a bank account that has not been confirmed by the office handling the permit, the payment can wait until someone at the county verifies it.
People who already sent money to a fake government account should contact the bank immediately and save the email, headers, payment receipt, account name, routing details, phone numbers, and any messages before reporting it to local law enforcement.