Phishing Attack Targets City of Dallas Permit Applicants
Concerns of phishing attacks arose late last week when an applicant for a city of Dallas permit received an email that was purportedly signed by the city planning director asking for thousands of dollars for application review fees, according to an email obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
How the Phishing Email Was Sent
The message, sent from pud.dallascityhall@usa.com, has characteristics of a phishing email, including the purported email signature of Emily Liu, director of the planning and development department.
The email asks the applicant, who is seeking to renew a specific use permit, to wire nearly $7,000. It includes a breakdown of costs related to compliance evaluations and record keeping to justify the payment.
Red Flags in the Phishing Email
Fees are usually paid on the city’s website or in person, and emails from the department have a dallas.gov address.
This email, however, was sent from a different address, pud.dallascityhall@usa.com, which is a clear indication that it is a phishing email.
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New Permitting Software Unveiled
Dallas unveiled new permitting software earlier this month, putting the review of all applications related to permits, inspections, engineering, planning, and platting on a single platform.
Phishing Email Not Linked to Hacking Incident
A city spokesperson told The News the phishing email was not connecting to a hacking incident.
Warning Emails Sent to Registered Users
The permitting department sent out approximately 16,000 emails to warn people and companies registered with the office about the phishing attempt.
Similar Attack in Bernalillo County, N.M.
A similar attack in March targeted the planning department in Bernalillo County, N.M. Users also received emails requesting wire transfers. The emails had addresses ending in usa.com, similar to the one in Dallas.
Unclear How Scammers Obtained Information
It is unclear how the sender of the phishing email got the information. In Bernalillo County, scammers were believed to have obtained information from publicly available meeting agendas. It is not clear whether a similar tactic was used in Dallas.
Correction and Clarification
Correction, 12:09 p.m., May 29, 2025: A recent phishing email sent to some people seeking permits from the city of Dallas has not been linked to the city’s new permitting software, DallasNow, according to city spokesperson Rick Ericson. A previous version of this story said the phishing emails had raised concerns about the integrity of the platform.
Clarification, 12:09 p.m., May 29, 2025: A phishing email sent to some people seeking permits from the city of Dallas included an email signature purported to be that of Planning Director Emily Liu, but Liu did not actually sign the email. An earlier version of this story was unclear in its second reference to the signature.
Conclusion
The phishing email sent to city of Dallas permit applicants is a reminder to be cautious when receiving emails that ask for payment or personal information. It is essential to verify the authenticity of emails, especially those that ask for large sums of money. The city of Dallas has taken steps to warn registered users about the phishing attempt, and it is crucial for individuals and companies to be vigilant and report any suspicious emails.
