The city of Harlingen is alerting residents, contractors, and developers about an ongoing email scam targeting individuals involved in planning and development projects.

According to a news release, the fraudulent emails are being sent to contractors and residents falsely claiming to represent the Harlingen Planning and Zoning Commission.

The scam targets individuals by posing as an official communication related to planning and zoning matters. Recipients are urged to use caution and avoid responding to the email, clicking on any links, sharing personal or financial information, or sending payments via email, according to the news release.

Anyone who receives a suspicious email or has concerns about communications claiming to be the city is encouraged to report it to the Planning and Zoning Department. These emails may originate from suspicious email addresses, such as "Planning_harling.entx-gov@usa.com."

The city of Harlingen is aware of the issue and continues to treat it as an active impersonation attempt. The public is urged to remain vigilant and carefully review unexpected emails claiming to be from the city.

For questions or to verify communication, please contact Planning and Development Director Ana Hernandez at 956-216-5242 or email ahernandez@harlingentx.gov or Information Technology Director Sergio Mujica at 956-216-5033 or email smujica@harlingentx.gov.