South Dakota County Hit With Email Scam That Cost Over $800,000

Officials in one South Dakota county are looking for answers after scammers made off with more than three-quarters of a million dollars of taxpayer money.

Back in October, an employee at the Tripp County Auditor's Office in Winner received an email from what they thought was a legitimate vendor requesting a bank transfer of $826,357. After that transfer was completed, it was discovered that the email was generated by a 'spoofed' address, and the money was gone.

Now, Tripp County State’s Attorney Zachary Pahlke and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley have launched an investigation into the scam. The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and federal partner agencies are assisting with the case.

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As a result of the incident, Tripp County officials say they are now partnering with security experts to strengthen county administrative safeguards. The county is also updating protocols and staff training to intercept and prevent fraudulent attempts and better protect resources.

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