Skagway police warn residents of fake invoices made to look like municipal bills

Skagway police warned residents Friday that fake invoices made to look like they come from the Municipality of Skagway are reaching people in town.

The Skagway Police Department said it has received reports of the fraudulent invoices going to some community members. The department asked residents to "exercise due diligence with regards to any mail received, physical or electronic, from municipal sources," meaning paper mail and email alike.

The department encouraged anyone who gets a bill from the municipality to check that it is real by calling City Hall at 907-983-2297 or the Skagway Police Department at 907-983-2232.

The department did not say what the fake invoices claim to be for or whether anyone has paid one.

Other Alaska local governments have reported similar schemes. Alaska News reported Oct. 19 that fake invoices posing as the Mat-Su Borough were reaching people who apply for land use permits, and that one shop got 10 in nine days. Mat-Su Borough Planning Director Alex Strawn told the borough's Planning Commission that day that staff were aware of the problem and would change the permit application and warn every applicant in person.

In Anchorage, Planning Director Mélisa Babb told the city's Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 3 that a group was using AI to mine contact and case information from the CityView permitting system, then emailing applicants requests to pay fees. "People have actually fallen victim to this and lost thousands of dollars," she said. The Municipality of Anchorage says it does not request payments by wire transfer.

Homer has warned residents about invoice-themed spear-phishing emails and advises checking directly with the city. A 2025 Wrangell scam alert listed official-looking logos, fake invoices, unusual payment instructions and wire transfer requests as warning signs.