BOISE, Idaho — The City of Gooding alleges it was the victim of a scam after fraudsters impersonated contractors and tricked city officials into making a $1,092,519 payment.
According to the city, the payment was intended to be sent to the contractor of their wastewater project, but later learned it was the victim of the scam after the payment was made.
Scammers targeted city officials and requested to change bank account information from the contractors, and they provided "legitimate appearing documentation."
After the payment was made, scammers quickly moved the money into a different bank account, the City of Gooding said. They tried to get the money back, but the bank could not recover it. The city has consulted its insurance provider.
The City of Gooding said it would change its training and make new protocols to prevent future incidents.
The Gooding County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the incident, city officials said.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Gooding County Sheriff's Office at (208) 934-4421.
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