The city of Harlingen is warning residents, businesses and permit applicants about phishing emails that are being circulated.

The emails claim the recipient owes fees or payments to the city, according to the news release. Those emails are not from the city.

The news release said messages appear official and may request payment or sensitive personal information. Residents are urged to not click on any links, open any attachments or provide any personal or financial information in response to those emails.

The city of Harlingen will never request payments via email and all official communication from the city will have the domain @harlingentx.gov, according to the news release. Any messages with a different domain, but claim to be from the city, should be considered suspicious.

Residents who received an email claiming to be from the city but are unsure if it is real should not respond or submit any payments, according to the news release. Instead, they should contact the city directly by phone to verify communication.

The news release said the city is assessing the situation and appreciates the public's cooperation in remaining vigilant against fraud.