Citrus County School District

"Where learning is the expectation and caring is the commitment."

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is actively investigating a sophisticated fraud scheme that targeted the Citrus County School Board (CCSB), resulting in fraudulent transfers totaling $846,864.86.

CCSB officials were alerted by a trusted vendor that an expected payment for a construction project had not been received. Upon review, the school board confirmed the payment had been made; however, it was later discovered that a fraudulent party had emulated the vendor’s email and provided a falsified account number. This type of cyber fraud, commonly known as business email compromise (BEC), occurs when suspects gain unauthorized access to email communications and impersonate legitimate entities to divert funds. Upon this revelation, CCSB officials quickly notified the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟’𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞," says Dr. Scott Hebert, Superintendent of Schools. "𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬."

Detective Cutlip with the CCSO High-Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) immediately launched an investigation and quickly enlisted the assistance of the United States Secret Service (USSS). CCSO maintains a strong partnership with the USSS and relies on its expertise in cases of this scale.

Within days of initiating the investigation, the USSS successfully identified and froze $779,604.00 in two separate bank accounts outside of Florida. These funds were later seized, and efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining $67,260.86. Based on current findings, investigators believe the suspect is operating outside of Florida and has no known ties to the CCSB.

“𝗔𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁; 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝘁,” said Sheriff David Vincent. “𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘇𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 $𝟳𝟳𝟵,𝟲𝟬𝟰 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 $𝟴𝟰𝟲,𝟴𝟲𝟰.𝟴𝟲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.”

This case remains under active investigation by the CCSO and the USSS. Once the investigation is complete, all recovered funds will be returned to the CCSB. The swift action of the USSS prevented a significant financial loss, and CCSO appreciates their continued partnership in combating financial crimes.

"𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲,” said Caroline O’Brien Buster, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Orlando Field Office. “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱.”

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬," states Dr. Hebert. "𝐖𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬. 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.”

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Citrus County at 1-866-ANY-TIPS (269-8477).