Check the sender separately from the message
Start with the name of the agency or company the sender claims to represent. Find its contact details from an official website you open yourself, or use a contact whose role you previously confirmed. Ask that office or person to check the request. Do not rely on the telephone number or payment link supplied in the unexpected message.
The FTC recommends contacting an organization through a trustworthy website or independently found number when checking an unexpected request. Caller ID can also be misleading. A call displaying a familiar company name does not establish who is speaking.
Ask a simple question: “Did your office send this request for this application?” Give the application reference and requested amount, without sending bank details or identity documents. If a project consultant sent the message, confirm its role with the developer or agency it says it represents.
Reference: Federal Trade Commission: checking unexpected requests and avoiding scams
A real application number does not prove a request is genuine
Powhatan County warned in June 2026 that fraudulent emails to planning applicants used real details from public applications, official-looking presentation and urgent payment demands. The warning concerned Planning Commission items, zoning appeals and agricultural and forestal districts. It did not identify a battery project.
The practical lesson for a landowner is to verify the sender even when the message correctly names the property. A public hearing notice, drawing or application can disclose information that someone else repeats. Accurate details do not show that the person is authorized to collect a fee.
Powhatan’s notice gives specific payment instructions for its Community Development applications. Another county or utility may use a different process. Ask the actual office handling your application to confirm its current payment method rather than borrowing instructions from a different place.
Reference: Powhatan County: June 2, 2026 warning about emails to planning applicants
Find out what the charge is for and who owes it
Request an explanation that names the application, study or work, the amount, the organization receiving the payment and the due date. Is it an application fee, a connection study, a survey invoice or something else? Ask for the invoice or fee reference and identify the person who ordered that work.
Compare the request with the option, lease or other agreement. Did the developer agree to handle that cost, or were you asked to hire your own adviser? If the documents do not answer the question, get it resolved before a payment is made. The fact that the project would use your land does not explain every invoice addressed to you.
Keep agency fees separate from private land payments. An application payment does not tell you when option money or operating rent is due. Likewise, a developer’s promise to pay rent is not confirmation that it has paid a study invoice. Record each obligation and its responsible party separately.
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Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landVerify changed instructions before acting
If someone changes the bank details, recipient or payment method, confirm the change through an established contact. Use the contact information you already checked, rather than replying only to the new instructions. Ask for written confirmation identifying the correct recipient and invoice.
A message saying that the project will lose its place unless you pay immediately deserves a separate check. Ask the agency or project team to confirm the actual deadline and what happens if it is missed. Do not treat urgency as proof that the sender is entitled to collect money.
Keep a short record of the check: the person contacted, the date, the invoice reference and the answer. Give it to whoever makes payments for the property or project. If a consultant changes or the project is transferred, update the contact list before using instructions from the new team.
Share only what is needed for the task
Ask why a person needs a particular record and who will receive it. A property-location discussion is different from setting up an agreed payment or authorizing access to an electric account. Have the responsible person explain the step before providing the information.
Use a confirmed process for sensitive records. Do not send bank information or identity documents in response to an unexpected request just because the sender knows your parcel number. If an account belongs to a tenant, company or another owner, identify the authorized person rather than supplying its records yourself.
Sunland’s initial property inquiry asks for contact information and the land’s location. Acreage and a parcel number are optional. Do not put bank details, account passwords or identity-document numbers in the inquiry message; they are not needed to start that discussion.
If the request still does not check out
Keep the message and any invoice, and contact the real agency or company through its published channels. Ask whether it recognizes the request and whether anything needs to be corrected on the genuine application. Avoid opening links or attachments in a message you suspect is fraudulent.
The FTC provides reporting and follow-up resources for suspected scams. If money or account information has already been sent, use those resources and contact the relevant bank or service through its official contact details. This guide does not establish what happened in a particular case or promise that a payment can be recovered.
A questionable message does not by itself decide whether the underlying battery proposal is viable. Resolve the communication issue, then return to the actual land terms, project records and remaining approvals.
Reference: Federal Trade Commission: checking unexpected requests and avoiding scams · Powhatan County: June 2, 2026 warning about emails to planning applicants
Start a property discussion without completing an application
If you are interested in battery storage on your land, use the inquiry form with your name, contact details and property location. You can say that you have received a proposal or that you are exploring the idea. There is no need to prepare a utility filing to start a conversation.
For an existing offer, keep the documents for the advisers reviewing it. Our offer worksheet can help you list the land rights, payment dates and unanswered questions. An inquiry to Sunland starts a property discussion; it does not authorize a third party, pay an application fee or commit you to a lease or sale.
Questions landowners ask
Does knowing my parcel or application number prove that a sender is legitimate?
No. Verify the request through the agency’s published contacts or a project contact you have independently confirmed. Public records can contain genuine project details.
Does a property owner always pay the application and connection costs?
Check the actual agreements and who ordered the work. Ask for written clarification of the responsible party before paying an unexplained invoice.
Can every county use the same payment method?
No. Confirm the current process with the actual office handling the application. The Powhatan example applies to its department.
Do I need to send bank information to inquire about my property?
No. Start with contact details and the property location. Do not include banking credentials or identity-document numbers in the inquiry message.
Sources & further reading
Powhatan County’s June 2, 2026 warning and the FTC’s published guidance were read in full on October 10. The county example concerns planning applicants generally; it does not identify a battery-storage incident. Its payment instructions apply to that county department, not every jurisdiction. These owner questions do not determine whether an individual message is fraudulent. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.