Texarkana City Officials Alert Public to Email Phishing Scheme

Texarkana, Texas, city officials are sending out a warning to area residents and local businesses about an ongoing email phishing scam that continues to circulate in the Texarkana area, despite a recent social media alert. So, here we are, alerting you again.

According to the City of Texarkana, Texas, the scam is targeting residents, permit applicants, and businesses that may have current or ongoing projects with the city. The fraudulent emails often appear official and may include fake invoices, payment requests, or claims that the sender is a city employee.

Fraudulent Email Address Identified

City officials say some of the scam emails are being sent from the address planning.texarkanatexas.gov@usa.com. This email address is not affiliated with the City of Texarkana, Texas.

The city emphasized that it does not request payments through unofficial email accounts or send unsolicited invoices.

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Email

Anyone who receives a suspicious email claiming to be from the city is urged to take the following steps:

Do not click on any links
Do not open attachments
Do not send payment
Do not reply to the message

If there is any doubt about a request, residents and businesses should contact the City of Texarkana directly at (903) 798-3900 to verify its legitimacy.

City officials also encourage the public to share this information to help protect others in the community from falling victim to scams.