CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi is alerting residents about fraudulent emails and invoices targeting actual city customers, including a recent scam that impersonated the city's Planning Commission.
The fake communication included a PDF form with detailed wiring instructions, complete with bank name, account number, routing number and SWIFT number under a fictitious name, listing the City of Corpus Christi as the beneficiary.
City officials are urging residents and anyone conducting business with city departments to verify the legitimacy of payment requests before proceeding with any transactions.
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How to protect yourself from scams
The city recommends several verification methods to ensure safety:
Contact the department directly: Call the department that allegedly sent the bill using phone numbers found on the official department directory at corpuschristitx.gov.
Identify fake email signs: Watch for pixelated graphics and letterheads, typographical errors, or messages creating urgency around payments.
Verify email domains: Official city communication comes from addresses ending in @corpuschristitx.gov. Recent scam emails have used the @usa.com domain, which is not associated with the city.
Use official websites: Access city services through corpuschristitx.gov rather than clicking links within emails.
Check email signatures: Look for incomplete or incorrect signatures, missing titles, wrong department names, or formatting that doesn't match typical city signatures.
For additional guidance or if you're unsure about an invoice's legitimacy, call 311 during business hours. Operators can connect you with the appropriate department to confirm validity.
City officials emphasize that once a wire transfer is completed, recovering funds is nearly impossible, making verification crucial before taking any action on suspicious documents.
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