FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced the recovery of nearly $1.2 million Thursday after a thorough and complicated investigation into a nationwide phishing scam, according to authorities.
Detective Ali Adamson, a spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, said city officials realized they had been duped on Sept. 14 after the city paid what it thought was a legitimate bill from Moss Construction, which is building the city’s new police headquarters.
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It turned out to have been a fraudulent request for payment and wasn’t from the company.
The incident occurred on Thursday, September 14, 2023. FLPD was notified by the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Finance Department after one of their employees received an email that appeared to be from Moss Construction, the contractor on the police department headquarters project.
The employee paid the invoice for approximately $1.2 million.
A short time later, FLPD’s Economic Crimes detectives were made aware, and they immediately began attempting to trace the money. Although the investigation is still ongoing, FLPD’s detectives were able to successfully recover all of the lost funds.
Cybersecurity experts said it’s important for governments to stay on top of threats and provide consistent cybersecurity training.
“You want to make it where every quarter someone is coming in and providing training and letting them know of what the latest threats are,” said Reginald Andre, a specialist with ARK Solvers.
Additionally, detectives are still attempting to identify the suspect or suspects responsible for this incident.
Authorities said some of the different facets of this particular scheme included sending fraudulent emails or invoices, victimizing vulnerable individuals in false online romantic relationships, and money laundering.
Below are some safety tips to raise awareness of the different types of scams:
Business Email Compromise (BEC):
• Common Targets: Real Estate/Title Companies, Attorneys, Insurance Providers, Yacht Brokers, any other businesses that make large lump sum payments.
• How to avoid becoming a victim: o Never change banking info via email. Instead, call a known point of contact. o Email directly to the known email address rather than reply to the thread.
• Review the email domain name Ex: john@abc123.com
Romance Scams:
• Many times, the criminal targets older people and those who may be struggling in a relationship and/or are emotionally vulnerable. Though most criminals aim for vulnerable targets, anyone can become a victim of this type of scam.
Common Ways to Target Individuals:
• Work From Home Job Listings o Dating Sites or Social Media o Individuals seeking companionship or assistance financially
• Helpful info from the U.S. Secret Service: Stay Safe Online: Avoid Romance Scams.
• If you are impacted by Business Email Compromises or Romance Scams, you should report it to local police first and followed by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at Internet Crime Complaint Center
FLPD encourages everyone to remain vigilant and aware of the potential for scams.
They say criminals often use the internet and phone tactics to deceive and exploit unsuspecting individuals.
Authorities urge the public to use extreme caution when they are asked to make a payment over the phone in any form, instructed to put money into a cryptocurrency ATM, or create an online crypto account.
Anyone who suspects they are part of a phone scam or fraud in the city of Fort Lauderdale, contact FLPD at their non-emergency number, 954-764-4357.