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Douglasville warns of fraudulent Planning and Zoning invoices asking for wire transfers
Summary
City staff warned residents and applicants about realistic-looking fake invoices purporting to be from the Douglasville Planning and Zoning Commission that request wire transfers; the city says it does not accept wire transfers and urged people to verify invoices via zoning@douglasvillega.gov or by phoning city staff.
Chris Dixon, speaking in the Douglasville Impact podcast news segment, warned listeners that people are sending realistic-looking fraudulent invoices that claim to come from the Douglasville Planning and Zoning Commission and request wire transfers.
"The city does not do business like that," Dixon said. "So, then we don't do wire transfers." He advised anyone who receives a suspicious invoice to verify it through the city's official channels — for example, by emailing zoning@douglasvillega.gov or calling the appropriate city office — rather than following payment instructions in the unsolicited message.
Hosts also noted fraudsters are using increasingly convincing tools, including AI, to craft realistic-looking documents and cautioned residents to look for small errors and contact city staff when in doubt. The podcast reiterated that legitimate city invoices come through established billing channels and do not ask residents or applicants to send money via wire transfer.
The city did not announce a formal remedy on the episode beyond the verification advice; listeners were told to report suspicious invoices and contact zoning@douglasvillega.gov to confirm legitimacy.
