Scammers are targeting Ennis businesses with fake invoices dressed up to look like they are straight from the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, city officials warned yesterday. The fraudulent bills sometimes include links or doctored bank details and pressure recipients to pay by wire transfer. City staff say businesses should treat every unexpected invoice with suspicion and verify it with the city before clicking anything or sending money.
What officials are saying
According to the City of Ennis Planning & Development, staff have already received reports of scam emails landing in the inboxes of applicants and developers. The department notes that all legitimate invoices from the City of Ennis are created and sent only through OpenGov. Anything that shows up outside that system, especially with attachments or embedded payment links, should be treated as suspicious. The alert is part of a broader effort to keep applicants from getting burned by impersonation fraud.
Scammers' methods
The city’s Facebook post includes screenshots of spoofed messages that mimic official correspondence, right down to logos and signatures. Officials say scammers are using odd-looking sender addresses, including domains that end in “.usa,” to give the emails a fake air of authority. The bogus invoices have been landing in the laps of legitimate businesses, and the Ennis Police Department is actively investigating. City staff also stress that they will not ask anyone to pay by wire transfer.
How to spot and avoid fake bills
Red flags include invoices you were not expecting, small changes in email addresses, urgent language that tries to rush payment, and last-minute instructions to change a payment method or bank account. The FTC advises businesses to confirm payment requests using a verified phone number or contact, and to steer clear of hard-to-trace methods such as wire transfers whenever possible.
Who to contact
If an invoice looks even slightly off, officials say do not reply, click links, open attachments, or send money. Instead, save the message and get it checked out. The city’s post directs businesses to contact Assistant Director Troy Foreman at [email protected] to confirm whether an invoice is legitimate. For urgent concerns or to make a report, the Ennis Police Department’s non-emergency number is listed as 972-875-4462 by the City of Ennis.
Similar scams elsewhere
Ennis is not alone. Municipal planning offices and permitting customers in other areas have been hit with nearly identical fake-invoice schemes this year. Monterey County, for example, recently warned applicants after bogus planning invoices started circulating, which shows this is a widespread and evolving fraud tactic. SFGATE reported on the county’s notice.
Legal note and next steps
The Ennis Police Department is investigating the local cases and is asking businesses to hang on to invoices, screenshots, and full email headers so investigators have more to work with. The FBI and the Internet Crime Complaint Center track business-email-compromise and invoice scams, and victims can file complaints online so law enforcement can follow the money and identify suspect accounts. The FBI offers additional guidance on reporting and preventing these schemes.
