Treat the message as unverified until you confirm it directly with the City of Pooler through a trusted phone number or official city contact page. Scammers may use real names, addresses, application details, meeting references, or planning packet information to make the email appear legitimate. Accuracy alone does not prove the message came from the city. Before opening attachments, clicking payment links, replying, or forwarding the email internally, call the city directly and ask whether the invoice, fee request, deadline, and payment instructions are valid.

Do not forward suspicious attachments or links unless you are sending the message to a person responsible for security, accounting, legal review, or law enforcement reporting. Forwarding the email casually can spread the risk because another person may click the link or open the attachment. The safer approach is to take screenshots, preserve the original email, and tell others not to interact with it until it is verified. If a business has multiple people handling applications or payments, one person should be assigned to verify the request directly with City Hall.

Save the original email, the sender address, the subject line, the full date and time received, any invoice attachment, any payment instructions, and any phone numbers or links included in the message. Do not delete the email immediately because the full message may contain technical details that can help investigators or financial institutions. If money was requested or sent, also save bank records, wire receipts, confirmation numbers, and any follow up communications from the sender. Keep the records organized in one folder so they can be provided quickly if needed.

Use a strict payment verification process for all government related fees. Before any payment is made, confirm the invoice through a known city phone number, compare the sender’s email domain, and verify the accepted payment method. Businesses should also require a second internal review before paying any new invoice or changing any payment method. Staff should be trained that official looking documents, accurate project details, and urgent language are not enough to approve payment. A simple rule works best: no verified city confirmation, no payment.

Stop communicating with the sender immediately and do not open any attachments or click any links. Change passwords if you provided login information or clicked a suspicious link that asked for credentials. Notify anyone else who may be involved in the project or payment process so they know not to trust related messages. If you provided personal, business, banking, or project information, contact the City of Pooler directly and consider filing a report with the appropriate fraud reporting channels. Even if no money was lost, reporting the attempt can help identify patterns and protect other residents.