DNREC Warns Permit Holders and Applicants About Fraudulent Emails, Phone Calls
DNREC is warning businesses and organizations with permits, or those applying for them, about fraudulent emails and phone calls impersonating agency staff and requesting payment of licensing or permit fees. Some messages include legitimate application numbers, fee amounts and staff names. DNREC says it never requests payments by email or phone; fees must be paid through its website or in person at agency offices, including state parks. Anyone receiving a suspicious request should not click links, open attachments, reply or provide payment information. Instead, contact your DNREC permit representative and delete the message. Officials say the scams have targeted permit holders and applicants, not the general public. DNREC also reminds recipients that legitimate state agency emails end in @delaware.gov, and advises checking the full sender address since names can be faked.
Additional Information from DNREC:
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is asking businesses and organizations that currently hold or are applying for DNREC permits to watch for fraudulent emails and phone calls from people impersonating DNREC staff and requesting payment of permit and licensing fees.
Recent scam emails and calls have falsely told recipients that a permit application requires an additional fee or that a permit holder is behind on fee payments. Some fraudulent emails include real permit application numbers, fee amounts and staff names, which were likely taken from DNREC public notices. However, any attempt to solicit money from DNREC via email or telephone for licenses or permits is a scamming attempt, since those transactions are legitimately conducted either online via the DNREC website, or in person at DNREC offices across the state, including Delaware State Parks.
Affected DNREC divisions and programs, working with the state Department of Technology and Information (DTI), have reached out to customers informing them of the scam. DNREC has identified the phishing attempts from three email addresses that have no connection to the Department or state government: delaware-dnrec@usa.com, dnrec.delaware@usa.com and DNREC.de@usa.com. The phishing emails state that check payment is not allowed and that funds must be transferred by clicking on a link to a fake website. Companies or organizations receiving these phishing attempts are asked to get in touch immediately with the DNREC contact or contacts for their permits and applications. The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a bulletin in March about scams using the usa.com domain, which can be found at www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260309
DNREC and DTI remind everyone that legitimate email from a State of Delaware agency comes from an address ending in @delaware.gov. Since sender names can be faked, DTI advises recipients to check full email addresses, not just the name that appears, and to watch for addresses that look similar to official ones.
