Public Notice

Spoofing is Amongst Us

The City of Beeville received numerous callbacks from Utility Customers on August 2, 2022, stating that the City called them about past due balances and disconnections. Through these callbacks, the City of Beeville was able to identify that the City’s telephone number was being used to “spoof” phone calls to Utility Customers. If the main number was being used it is safe to say that other City numbers may also be being used. If you did receive a spoof call, please call the Utility Administration department at (361) 358-4641 if you need more information.

We would like to let the Beeville Citizens know that phone scammers often disguise their identity by using illegal spoofing techniques to send false information to your caller ID display. To trick you into answering, “spoofers” may use local area codes and numbers that look familiar. Or they may impersonate a company you do business with, such as a local utility, or government agency.

Here are some good ways to avoid being spoofed:

• Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers.

• If you answer and it’s not who you expected, don’t hang on, hang up.

• If a caller asks you to hit a button to stop getting calls, just hang up.

• Never assume an unexpected call is legitimate. Hang up and call back using a number you can verify on a bill, a statement, or an official website.

• Be suspicious. Con artists can be very convincing: They may ask innocuous questions or sound threatening, or sometimes seem too good to be true.

• Don’t give out personal information – account numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords – or answer security questions.

• Use extreme caution if you are being pressured for immediate payment.

• Ask your phone company about call blocking tools for landlines or apps for mobile devices.

• Report spoofing scams to law enforcement, the FCC, and the FTC.

More information can be found at fcc.gov/spoofing