Morgantown Warns Residents of Phishing Emails

The city is urging the public to exercise caution after receiving reports of fraudulent invoices via email.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in City Hall

Isometric editorial illustration of a brick municipal building facade with an iron lantern, representing an official city security alert. — Morgantown officials warned residents Tuesday of fraudulent phishing emails masquerading as official invoices from the city's finance department. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Morgantown city officials are alerting residents to phishing emails that claim to come from the Finance and Development Services Office. These messages contain fake invoices and are not authorized communications from the city.

Why it matters

The notice helps protect residents from digital fraud by clarifying that the city does not conduct land development billing through email. Officials are advising the public to verify any suspicious correspondence immediately.

The city maintains an official contact line at 304-284-7433 for residents seeking to verify official communications. All legitimate city emails are required to end with the domain @morgantownwv.gov.

The players

Finance and Development Services Office

This department is responsible for managing city land development fees and related financial records.

City of Morgantown

This is the municipal government body responsible for providing public services to residents in West Virginia.

The details

Recipients of the fraudulent messages should refrain from clicking any included links, as these emails do not represent official city requests. The city confirmed it does not issue invoices for land development fees through email channels.

The city released the phishing notice on Tuesday afternoon.

Political Context

This notice follows the standard defensive pattern recommended by the Federal Trade Commission's Cybersecurity Guidelines for local governments to safeguard municipal communications. Opposition groups often argue that such digital security measures highlight a lack of investment in robust, authenticated government infrastructure.

Residents should delete any emails requesting payment for development fees that do not originate from a @morgantownwv.gov address. If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a notice, you must call 304-284-7433 to confirm before taking any financial action.

The takeaway

Always verify the sender domain when receiving unexpected invoices claiming to be from municipal offices. By sticking to official communication channels, residents can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to financial phishing scams.