A scammer managed to dupe officials in the town of Erie, Colorado, out of one million dollars. The city signed a contract with SEMA Construction to build the Erie Parkway Bridge and had planned to pay the company by check.
The scammer went online and filled out a form on the town's website requesting to be paid via an electronic wire transfer instead and included the account information. While an official verified some of the account data, they never confirmed the transfer with SEMA Construction and sent the funds.
The scammer then pulled the funds out of the account and transferred them to a bank outside of the United States. The town's bank alerted them of the fraud, but not before the money was moved.
The town was able to pay the construction company using a temporary transportation fund and filed a claim with their insurance company to recover the money.
The employee who transferred the money voluntarily resigned.
Authorities, including the FBI, have been unable to locate the suspect and are asking the public for any tips that may lead to their arrest.