City of Spokane Warns of Email Scam Posing as Planning Department, Development Services Center

Erin Hut, Communications Director, ehut@spokanecity.org

Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11:05 a.m.

The City of Spokane is alerting the public to a new email scam in which individuals are posing as the City’s Planning Director and Development Services Center. These emails state that an outstanding invoice is due and payment should be completed via wire transfer.  

The City of Spokane will never email customers unprompted asking for wire transfer payments.  

The appropriate ways to make payments to the Development Services Center (DSC) include:  

  • Secure payment link: An embedded payment link within an official DSC email directing customers to the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) Portal 
  • By check: Payments may be mailed or delivered to the DSC 
  • In person: Customers may pay by credit card, cash, or check at the DSC front counter 

Those who receive these suspicious emails should not open any attachments and avoid sharing personal information or sending any form of payment.