PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (WHDH) - State and federal officials are investigating after scammers stole more than $2 million from the Town of Peterborough, New Hampshire, town officials said Monday.
According to Contoocook Valley School District Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders, a cybersecurity breach let scammers misdirect funds intended for the town, including to the school district. District IT staff reviewed server access logs and anti-virus logs but found no sign of malicious activity, Saunders said.
In a Facebook post, town officials said they do not believe the funds can be recovered and do not know if they will be covered by insurance. Town officials said that after learning the ConVal School District had not received its $1.2M monthly transfer from the town at the end of July, investigators found e-mail exchanges between town Finance Department staff and people posing as ConVal School District staff using forged documents.
In August, town officials found two bank transfers meant to go to a contractor working on a bridge project had also been “fraudulently diverted,” according to the Facebook post.
The town administrator says despite the theft the school district does still have the money to continue providing all services.
The Secret Service is investigating and town officials said the scam appeared to originate oversees, and while no town staff are believed to be criminally involved the Finance Department staff who were involved in the e-mails are on leave until the Secret Service’s investigation is concluded.
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