Supervisors in one Mississippi county scammed out of nearly $3 million with false payment requests
Published 6:57 am Thursday, March 28, 2024
Supervisors in one Mississippi county are working to reclaim nearly $3 million lost in a fraudulent cyber scheme.
The Madison County Board of Supervisors reports on Facebook that county leaders were informed of a fraudulent financial cyber event on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
Officials say the event resulted in $2,741,243.69 in funds being sent to a fraudulent vendor, who presented themselves as a current vendor.
“Following the notification, the first thing the Board did was call in law enforcement officials that include the Madison County Sheriff’s office, the United States Secret Service, the Attorney General’s office, the State Auditor’s office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to launch a national and international investigation,” the post on Facebook said. “The investigation is in its infancy, and an update will be held once investigators have more information.”
Leaders say additional safety measures have been put into place to ensure the safety of taxpayer dollars.
The Clarion-Ledger reports that the fraudulent vendor reportedly intercepted electronic payment requests from a construction company and sent a false form to officials that looked nearly identical to the original request. The false forms reportedly include a link that diverted funds to the fraudulent vendor.
Supervisors says they are working to reclaim the funds lost in the scam.