The number of scammers targetring Fort Myers Beach residents is increasing and the town is doing something about it. A new town newsletter called Fraud Watch will be launched January 5th to keep residents informed and help prevent them from losing any money.
As we reported on our Facebook page this week, local resident Christal Shola reached out to us with her story about how scammers were aggressively pushing her to wire thousands of dollars leading up to her variance request in front of the LPA. These scammers are sophisticated and preying on people who simply want to get back into their homes and businesses. They used town letterhead and knew the details about Christal’s request. The e-mail she received stated that if she didn’t wire the money she would be taken off the LPA’s agenda. They requested she use a debit card which thankfully she does not have. When she went to Town Hall, to try to pay the bill in person, whe was told it was all a scam.
Town Manager Will McKannay said, “Residents like Christal Shola are exactly what make Fort Myers Beach a safer, stronger community. Her willingness to speak publicly, ask questions, and alert others reflects the kind of civic engagement that helps stop scams before real harm occurs.”
Several months ago, What’s Up FMB was also sent an invoice from a scammer with a bill for thousands of dollars for a Special Events permit for their Illuminations Parade.
QR codes have also been randomly popping up in empty parking lots. Those lots are not permitted and are stealing money and personal information. And scammers impersonated payment portals and accounts resembling chamber of commerce or utility-related entities, misleading individuals into submitting water utility payments to fraudulent accounts. These scams rely on urgency and fear of service interruption to pressure payment.
The Town’s new FRAUD WATCH newsletter will provide ongoing updates on both previously identified scam attempts and emerging schemes targeting residents and businesses. The town says the newsletter “will serve as a centralized source of information, offering reminders about past scams, alerts about new fraud trends as they arise, and clear guidance on how to verify legitimate Town communications. FRAUD WATCH will continue to be published for as long as scammers attempt to target the Fort Myers Beach community.”
Residents who receive suspicious emails, texts, or payment requests claiming to be from the Town are encouraged to report them to the Town of Fort Myers Beach Public Information Office at 239-313-1542.