Dear Residents,
The City of St. Pete Beach has been made aware of a phishing scam targeting individuals who recently submitted planning or zoning applications. The scam involves sending applicants fake invoices requesting payment that appear to come from the City.
Fraudulent emails are being sent from “planning.st.petebeach.org@usa.com” and “planningstpetebeach@usa.com”.
Please note that these requests are NOT LEGITIMATE and were not sent by the City of St. Pete Beach. Do not make any payment.
Official payment requests for planning and zoning applications will only come from the City’s permitting platform and include a secure link to the City’s official portal. The City does not request wire transfers or additional payments for applications unless staff has contacted you directly to explain the charges in advance.
If you receive one of these fraudulent emails:
- Do not click on any links or open attachments.
- Do not send payment or personal information.
- Report the email to your email provider (directions in the links below.)
Reporting Phishing Emails:
- Gmail: Report Phishing
- Apple Mail: Report Phishing
- Microsoft Outlook: Report Phishing
- Yahoo Mail: Report Phishing
- Proton Mail: Report Phishing
If you are unsure whether you owe fees for a planning or zoning application, please contact the Planning Department directly. When in doubt, do not click any links — instead, use the official City website or permitting portal you normally access to confirm payment status.
Thank you for remaining vigilant and helping us protect our community from fraud.
City of St. Pete Beach