CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
City officials are urging residents and anyone conducting business with city departments to verify the legitimacy of payment requests before proceeding with any transactions.<\/p>\n
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How to protect yourself from scams<\/p>\n
The city recommends several verification methods to ensure safety:<\/p>\n
Contact the department directly: Call the department that allegedly sent the bill using phone numbers found on the official department directory at corpuschristitx.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n Identify fake email signs: Watch for pixelated graphics and letterheads, typographical errors, or messages creating urgency around payments.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Use official websites: Access city services through corpuschristitx.gov rather than clicking links within emails.<\/p>\n Check email signatures: Look for incomplete or incorrect signatures, missing titles, wrong department names, or formatting that doesn’t match typical city signatures.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n For the latest local news updates, click here<\/a>, or download the KRIS 6 News App. <\/a><\/p>\n