Las Vegas Warns Residents of Planning Commission Email Phishing Scam

The City of Las Vegas is alerting residents to an email phishing campaign that falsely claims to originate from the municipal Planning Commission. The messages request payment of an “application approval fee” and direct recipients to click links or download attachments. Officials stress that the commission does not charge such fees by email and urge people to delete the message without responding. The warning was issued in English and Spanish as the city seeks to limit potential financial losses and the exposure of personal data. Local news outlets echoed the alert, noting that no legitimate city department is involved in the solicitation. Las Vegas’ notice comes amid a broader rise in email-borne fraud. A separate analysis by cybersecurity firm DNSFilter found that one in every 644 clicks on so-called “unsubscribe” links redirects users to malicious websites designed to steal credentials or install malware—underscoring how routine email interactions can open the door to sophisticated attacks. Authorities recommend verifying sender addresses, avoiding unsolicited links and keeping security software up to date.