NewsNational News

Actions

Texas school district lost $2.3 million to phishing scam, authorities say

Posted at 11:24 AM, Jan 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-13 13:24:46-05

AUSTIN, Texas — It's not just individuals who fall for phishing scams — it can happen to school districts, too.

The Manor Independent School District in Texas is getting some help from the police and the FBI after losing approximately $2.3 million to a phishing email scam, according to a press release.

Manor Police Department Det. Anne Lopez says three separate fraudulent transactions happened in November. A district employee noticed the issue in December and notified police, KEYE reports.

Lopez told KEYE it's rare to see a scam of this magnitude involving a school district.

Authorities haven't released specific details about how it happened and it's not clear if the district will get the money back.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reports that people lost $30 million to phishing scams in 2017.