Scam alert
A Mailer Demands Pay for Spotted Lanternfly Permits That Are Free
Posted
Pennsylvania and nationwide · attorneygeneral.gov · Arrives by mail or a website
The short answer
An unexpected letter or website that demands payment for a spotted-lanternfly "commission" permit or short online training, and threatens fines or criminal penalties, is a sign of a scam. Pennsylvania's attorney general sued over deceptive mailers that looked like state agriculture notices and sold fraudulent permits and training when the real Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension course and permit cost nothing. Do not pay. Confirm permit requirements only through your state agriculture department or cooperative extension using a number or URL you look up yourself. Report to your state attorney general and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What is happening
On September 30, 2026, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General announced a lawsuit alleging that deceptive mailers sold fraudulent spotted-lanternfly permits and training under the name "Spotted Lanternfly Commission," using logos and wording meant to look like the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and threatening civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance with the state's Quarantine Order. The Philadelphia Inquirer independently reported the suit and that at least 80 residents and businesses received the letters. Legitimate Pennsylvania spotted-lanternfly training and permits from the Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension are free.
How to recognize it
- An unexpected letter or website demands payment for a spotted-lanternfly or other invasive-species "commission" permit or quick online training and threatens fines or criminal penalties.
- The mailer uses official-looking logos or wording that appear to come from a state agriculture department or a made-up commission.
- It points you to a website to pay for a permit or short training videos that the letter says you must complete right away.
- The real state agriculture department or cooperative extension offers the same training and permit at no cost.
What to do instead
- Do not pay for a spotted-lanternfly permit or training because of an unexpected mailer or website.
- Confirm permit requirements only through your state agriculture department or cooperative extension, using a number or URL you look up yourself.
- In Pennsylvania, use the Department of Agriculture or Penn State Extension—legitimate training and permits there are free.
- Report the mailer to your state attorney general and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- If you want to tell someone, the rule is: never pay for a quarantine permit from a mailer until you check the real agriculture office yourself.
If it already happened
Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.
- Paying after an official-looking mailer is common. The letter is built to look like a state notice.
- Contact your bank or card company about disputing the charge, and keep the letter and any receipts.
- Tell your state attorney general's consumer-protection office what you received and paid.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Common questions
- Are spotted-lanternfly permits ever real?
- Yes. Pennsylvania remains under a Quarantine Order that requires certain businesses to obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture after training. The official course and permit through the Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension cost nothing.
- What does a fake permit mailer usually look like?
- It may use logos and wording meant to look like a state agriculture department, threaten civil or criminal penalties, and sell a permit or short training under a "commission" name. That pattern is what Pennsylvania's attorney general described in the September 2026 lawsuit.
- I already paid for a permit from a mailer. What now?
- Contact your bank or card company about disputing the charge, report it to your state attorney general, and file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Keep the letter and any payment confirmation.
Practice this safely
Practice ignoring a penalty threat on a permit mailer and checking the real agriculture office on a number you look up yourself.
Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.
Tell someone
Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.
A Mailer Demands Pay for Spotted Lanternfly Permits That Are Free An unexpected letter or website that demands payment for a spotted-lanternfly "commission" permit or short online training, and threatens fines or criminal penalties, is a sign of a scam. Pennsylvania's attorney general sued over deceptive mailers that looked like state agriculture notices and sold fraudulent permits and training when the real Department of Agriculture and Penn State Extension course and permit cost nothing. Do not pay. Confirm permit requirements only through your state agriculture department or cooperative extension using a number or URL you look up yourself. Report to your state attorney general and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/spotted-lanternfly-permit-scam
Where this comes from
These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.
- Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General: Bureau of Consumer Protection sues over fraudulent spotted lanternfly permits (September 30, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
attorneygeneral.gov
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. attorney general files lawsuit over bogus spotted lanternfly permits (September 30, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
inquirer.com
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)
ReportFraud.ftc.gov
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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.