"We fell victim:" Washington County scammed out of nearly $90,000

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Washington County has fallen victim to a very expensive email scam. On June 16th, Washington County authorities say a wire transfer of $87,760 was authorized to criminal bank accounts.

After identifying the error, county finance staff notified the Washington County Sheriff's Office to begin an investigation.

In cooperation with the sheriff's department, Washington County Administrator Joshua Schoemann is taking active steps to mitigate the financial loss for the county and educate against "email phishing scams."

"We wanted to bring this information to the taxpayer’s attention as soon as possible and exhibit complete transparency regarding this breach. As soon as we are able, we will provide full details of the investigation and of our efforts to ensure those responsible are held accountable,” said Schoemann. “It is very unfortunate that we fell victim to this scam.”

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is now conducting an investigation.

Further details will be available following the investigation.