Whitsett warns residents after town email account is breached

The Town of Whitsett, North Carolina, issued a public alert on 22 October 2026 after detecting unauthorized access to its Town Hall Microsoft 365 account. An email purportedly from townhall@whitsettnc[.]com used Town Administrator Jaime Sutton’s signature and carried the subject “Ref: Approved Payment Report from Whitsett, NC.” The message included two attachments and a password to access a PDF document, and recipients were advised not to open the attachments or act on the message. The alert explains the incident occurred at about 10:00 a.m. on 22 October 2026 and emphasises that the email was not authorised by the Town of Whitsett.

Brooks Networking, the Town’s IT provider, secured the affected accounts and changed the passwords for townhall@whitsettnc[.]com and townadmin@whitsettnc[.]com to protect the Microsoft account. The Town did not send a mass follow-up message, citing potential delays due to account limits.

The notice provides detailed guidance for recipients, including not sending payments or credentials in response, avoiding clicking links or using the supplied password, and contacting an IT provider if any attachment was opened or information disclosed. It also advises changing passwords on other accounts if reused, contacting a bank if financial information was disclosed, and monitoring account statements and free credit reports for unfamiliar activity.

Independently verify unexpected payment requests by using previously known, trusted telephone numbers, and remain vigilant. The Town’s notice includes contact details: P.O. Box 186, Whitsett, NC 27377, Phone: 336-449-3380.