Town of Webster: Scammers steal over half a million dollars posing as town contractors

WEBSTER, N.Y. — The Town of Webster says its a victim of a phishing scam, losing over half a million dollars in November 2024.

The town says scammers posed as town contractors to steal money.

Officials explain the town opened up a criminal investigation as soon as it learned of the scam on November 20 — and assure the community that no sensitive or confidential data was breached.

“In 2024, the Town purchased cyber insurance to respond to such threats. In addition, the Town of Webster is fortunate to have a local police department with the capability to expeditiously respond to these crimes,” says Town Supervisor Tom Flaherty. “While it is disheartening that we must consider these events, the Town is grateful to have been prepared to protect taxpayers in the midst of this cyberattack.”

Officials say the town’s IT department reviewed all the town’s accounts and systems to ensure nothing was compromised.

The town has since recovered around $300,000 and says it should get $240,000 from its cyber insurance policy.