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Warren County treasurer says missed vendor fraud alert 'a game changer,' urges state comptroller review
Summary
Treasurer Christine Nord told the board a fraud alert from vendor Peckham was sent by mail and email to customers and that the county's failure to share the alert internally contributed to a fraud; she urged waiting for the New York State Office of the State Comptroller and said she has identified roughly 20 policies that need documentation in 2026.
Christine Nord, who identified herself in the meeting as Warren County treasurer, used the public-comment period to say a fraud alert from vendor Peckham had been sent to customers by both U.S. Mail and email and that internal distribution in the county did not occur as she had requested.
"Had the Peckham fraud alert been shared as requested in the letter... this fraud would never have happened," Nord said, describing the alert as a "game changer" according to conversations she has had with treasurers and finance officers in other New York counties. She stated Peckham told her it sent the alert in two ways "just in case one failed." Nord said the issue is being politicized and recommended the board await a review by the New York State Office of the State Comptroller rather than rely solely on the county's internal control review by forensic attorneys, which she cautioned could be limited by client confidentiality.
Nord also said the county currently relies heavily on informal practices and that she identified about 20 policies and procedures in November that need to be documented in the county's financial manual; she said documenting those policies is a major goal for 2026. She pressed the point that county staff should not place full confidence in the ongoing internal review and that a state comptroller review is needed to reach the "right answers."
The transcript records Nord's allegations but contains no recorded response from other board members during the public-comment period. The claim that Peckham sent a fraud alert and that it was not shared internally remains unresolved in this meeting record; the transcript shows Nord asking the board to await the state comptroller's review.
