In a statement released Tuesday, the district said: "Criminals impersonated a trusted vendor and redirected two payments" from the the district's building fund. The statement did not indicate exactly when the payments were made or when the theft was discovered. It said law enforcement was made aware of the situation and that the district is cooperating with the investigation.
Dickinson police also released a statement Tuesday indicating the department has enlisted the help of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, as "the case's scope exceeded local jurisdictional capabilities."
The building fund is a restricted fund designated for building and facility projects, and the loss will not affect classroom instruction, budgets or operations, according to the district.
There is no indication that personal data of any students or staff was compromised, the district said. It added there have been no additional incidents of fraudulent activity. The district has put more safeguards in place, including vendor verification procedures, strengthened email security protocols, and staff training focused on cybersecurity and fraud prevention.
This type of scam, the district said, is commonly known as business email compromise, or BEC, and often involves vendor impersonation and other types of phishing.
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