Phone Scam Alert
City of Corpus Christi
CORPUS CHRISTI (News Release) – The City of Corpus Christi is investigating reports of scammers using City of Corpus Christi phone numbers in a fraudulent attempt to solicit payments for Municipal Court warrants. This is known as spoofing. Several residents have received the calls.
Corpus Christi Municipal Court will not call you about an active warrant and demand payment over the phone via credit card, bank draft, or gift card. If you receive a phone call from an individual identifying as a Municipal Court employee and demanding payment immediately over the phone, hang up.
You may receive a text message from Municipal Court informing you that you have a new warrant, but they will not ask for payment.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing, so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or they spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust. If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.
Here are some tips for dealing with these types of calls:
If you do not recognize the number calling, do not answer
If the caller request you push a button to stop receiving calls, hang up
Do not respond to questions, especially ones with a “Yes” or “No” answer
Never confirm or give out personal or private information to the caller
Do not allow the caller to force you into an immediate decision or action
If you think you have been the victim of a spoofing scam, you can file a complaint with the FCC.
You can check if you have an active warrant by visiting the Corpus Christi Municipal Court website.
https://www.municipalrecordsearch.com/corpuschristitx/Cases
You can visit this page to explore your options and pay the warrant if you have an active warrant.
https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/corpuschristitx/
If you have any questions, contact the Court at 361-826-2500.
