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Clearwater board warns residents about fraudulent City-branded invoice
Summary
At the Jan. 20 Community Development Board meeting Chair Michael Budzkast alerted the public to a fraudulent email/invoice that appeared to use a City-branded layout and wire instructions; he urged attendees not to respond and said the message did not originate from the city.
During the Jan. 20 meeting of the Clearwater Community Development Board, Chair Michael Budzkast alerted the audience to a fraudulent email purporting to be a city invoice and advised recipients not to respond. The chair said the message used a non-city email domain and included instructions for wiring funds; he emphasized, "That did not come from the city." The board thanked the appellant for bringing the message to the city's attention.
Chair Budzkast explained the email bore a City of Clearwater logo but used an unusual domain (not the city's typical domain) and directed recipients to wire funds, which the city would not request. The board treated the announcement as a public-service warning and encouraged attendees to verify communications through official city channels before acting on payment requests.
No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the warning and the request that staff and the public remain vigilant for similar scams; the board noted the incident to ensure applicants and residents are not misled by fraudulent solicitations.
