On June 25, 2026, the Sanibel Police Department received a report of a scam involving emails that falsely appear to come from the City of Sanibel Planning Department.These emails are crafted to mimic

On June 25, 2026, the Sanibel Police Department received a report of a scam involving emails that falsely appear to come from the City of Sanibel Planning Department.These emails are crafted to mimic official City correspondence and include fake invoices demanding immediate payment. Recipients are instructed to send payment via wire transfer and threatened with loss of City services if they fail to comply.Additionally, the emails direct recipients to contact a non-City of Sanibel email address to obtain banking details and wire transfer instructions.  All City of Sanibel email addresses end in @mysanibel.com.The City of Sanibel will never request payment by wire transfer or direct individuals to a non-City email address for payment instructions.If you receive a suspicious email:Do not send payment or provide any personal or financial information.Do not respond to the email or click on any links or attachments.Contact the City of Sanibel Planning Department directly using publicly listed contact information to verify the legitimacy of the communication.Report the incident to Detective Michelle Rose with the Sanibel Police Department at (239) 472-3111, Ext. 236.The Sanibel Police Department is actively investigating this scam and encourages anyone who has received a suspicious invoice or believes they may have been targeted to contact us immediately.