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Parish finance reports 16 fraudulent checks; staff switches accounts and orders security fixes
Summary
Finance staff told the council that 16 fraudulent mobile-deposit checks were passed through the parish account; the bank refunded the funds, staff changed checking accounts and ordered new checks, and the finance office described recurring credit-card fraud and plans for increased monitoring.
Finance staff reported a recent breach in which unknown parties duplicated parish checks and made mobile deposits, resulting in 16 fraudulent items that the bank has since refunded. "Someone duplicated our checks and got 16 of them through to the bank, through mobile deposit," staff said, adding the bank has refunded parish funds and the parish is changing account numbers and ordering new checks.
Council members also asked about credit-card security; finance staff said credit-card fraud against parish cards occurs several times a year and the card is routinely cancelled and reissued when suspicious activity appears. The office said they reconcile bank statements daily while the investigation continues and are working with law enforcement and the bank to trace the deposits.
Separately, staff described network and software problems at the highway and solid-waste offices, reported that AT&T/CVTel options had been explored, and said Starlink hardware had been delivered for installation to provide satellite Internet to remote facilities; staff said grant searches for a new highway software package are underway but there is no guarantee of funding.
What happens next: staff said they will continue reconciliation, coordinate with the bank and police on the fraud investigation, and proceed with Starlink installation as an interim connectivity improvement for field offices.
