The City of Cooper City is sharing an important public service reminder following a recent incident involving a local company that received a fraudulent email from an individual posing as a City Commissioner requesting a wire payment.
Fortunately, the request was identified as a scam. However, this serves as a helpful reminder for businesses and residents to remain vigilant when receiving unexpected payment instructions.
First and foremost, no elected official for the City of Cooper City will ever be directly involved in requesting or facilitating payments. Any organization or individual making a payment to the City will already be working directly with a specific City department as part of an established process.
One clear warning sign in this recent case was that the sender’s email address used a domain name that did not match the City of Cooper City’s official email domain. Scammers often rely on small differences in email addresses to appear legitimate.
As technology continues to evolve, fraudulent actors are becoming more sophisticated. Because local government information, including meeting agendas, minutes, staff contacts, and elected officials’ names, is publicly available as part of Florida’s transparency and public records laws, scammers may use this information, along with artificial intelligence tools, to create messages that appear authentic.
It is important to emphasize that the City’s digital infrastructure and payment systems remain secure. No City systems were compromised, and no payment records were accessed. This message is simply intended as a reminder to help our community recognize and avoid fraudulent communications.
As a general rule:
Payments to the City should only occur as part of an established process and direct communication with a City department.
Be cautious of urgent or unexpected payment requests sent by mail or email.
Always verify payment instructions using a trusted phone number, not one provided in a suspicious or unexpected message.
By taking a moment to verify information, we can work together to protect our businesses, residents, and community partners from scams.
If you have questions about a payment request or believe you have received a suspicious message claiming to represent the City of Cooper City, please contact City Hall at 954-434-4300.