FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Officials in Flagler County are trying to find out what happened to a $700,000 transfer of funds from the school district that went to a “possible fraudulent vendor bank account,” district officials announced on Tuesday.
In a release, the district said that Superintendent LaShakia Moore reported the investigation to the school board.
Upon discovery of the transfer, the district then began an internal investigation, working alongside the FBI and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the release states.
“We want to assure the public there has been no data breach on our part and that all district information remains secure and protected,” the release reads.
According to the sheriff’s office, the money was supposed to go towards the Matanzas High School expansion project.
“It was discovered because the contractor was looking for payment. The district said they had sent the payment, but the contractor never received it,” said Sheriff Rick Staly Wednesday.
The sheriff said his cyber crime team is trying to find out who took the $719,500.
The district told investigators it sent the money through an ACH, or online electronic transfer on Sept. 22 but on Monday, Oct. 2, the contractor told the district it never received it.
“In my opinion at this stage, it’s unlikely that we will recover the money that has been taken because of the time delay,” said Staly.
The sheriff said typically in these cases, someone hacks into a computer via a virus and watches the user’s movement. He said then, they pose as someone the computer’s user would typically be in contact with and ask for money.
“There was a breach somewhere. It could be the contractor, it could be the school district,” said Staly.
Detectives took the school district’s computer that was tied to the payment and now they’re working to get the contractor’s computer.
“That’s why you have to do the forensic autopsies because it always leaves a trail,” said the sheriff.
Superintendent LaShakia Moore said the district is taking all precautions now, and is looking into all options to get the money back or replace it.
“We are not concerned that any of our finances or any of our other data is at jeopardy,” she said.
The district said it does not expect the issue to affect the expansion project at this time but could not comment further.
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