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Published on May 01, 2026
The City of Torrance is warning property owners and developers to be alert for a scam involving fake notices requesting payment of "application approval fees" for rezoings, special use permits, and other land development requests.
The fraudulent letters appear to come from the City and claim that an application has been reviewed and approved pending payment of an attached invoice. In some cases, the letters include specific property information, such as parcel numbers, zoning designations, and ownership details.
Please do not pay these fees, as it is not a legitimate request. The Planning Division does not request wire transfers nor payments prior to a project being reviewed by the City Planning Commission or City Council. If an invoice for payment is received, and you are not sure if it is legitimate, please contact the Planning Division for verification at (310) 618-5990 or via email at CDDInfo@TorranceCA.Gov.
If you believe you have received a fraudulent message or have been a victim of this scam, please report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/. Please include any relevant email details and payment information.