Fake Tucson Permit Emails Are Asking Residents For Money, City Warns

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson officials are warning residents: a scam email making the rounds is impersonating the city and asking customers to send fake permit payments.

The fraudulent messages appear to come from the city's Planning and Development Services Department and its online permitting system, but officials say the emails are not legitimate.

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Anyone who receives a payment request by email is urged not to respond or send money.

According to Planning and Development Services, the department never requests payment or wire transfers through email or phone calls.

All official PDSD permit invoices are sent exclusively from one verified email address: noreply@eplmail.tylerapp.com.

Any payment request coming from another email address should be considered suspicious, city officials said.

The scam could affect anyone who interacts with the city's permitting system, including homeowners, contractors and developers handling permit applications or other services through PDSD. Officials are encouraging customers who are unsure about a message to verify it directly with the city before taking any action.

Residents can call 311 to be connected with the appropriate city department or contact Planning and Development Services directly at 520-791-5550 for permit-related questions.

City officials said they are working with city IT partners to investigate the source of the fraudulent emails and determine the scope of the issue. Updates may be released as more information becomes available.

Anyone who has already responded to one of the scam emails or submitted a payment should act quickly, officials said. Residents are encouraged to contact their bank or financial institution immediately and file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

The city is reminding residents of a simple way to spot a fake payment request: official PDSD invoices will only come from noreply@eplmail.tylerapp.com.

If an email asking for payment comes from another address, do not reply, click links or send money. Instead, confirm the request directly with the city before taking any action.