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Dunedin discloses $663,000 cyber theft from contractor payment; city says partial recovery and controls strengthened
Summary
City Manager Jennifer Bramley disclosed a 2024 email-based payment fraud that diverted about $663,000 intended for a paving contractor; a related arrest followed and the city says insurance and a risk fund covered remaining losses while the investigation continues.
City Manager Jennifer Bramley told the audience that in 2024 an attacker hijacked the email account of a contracted paving company and directed a city payment to an account controlled by the fraudster, resulting in the theft of approximately $663,000.
Bramley said some funds were later recovered by the bank, and the citywhich maintains cybersecurity and crime insurance and a risk safety fundcovered the remaining loss. She described an arrest of a man who received and spent some of the stolen funds after the threat actor misdirected them to that individual's bank account; the person was extradited from Utah to Pinellas County and is in custody awaiting trial.
Bramley said the city has strengthened internal controls: all employees, including elected officials, have received in-person cybersecurity training; the city changed its web domain to .gov; and it added payment-verification steps for invoices. She acknowledged the investigation remains ongoing and the city is coordinating with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Bramley also cited remarks from Sheriff Gutieri given at a July 3, 2025 commission meeting characterizing the scheme as "a very deliberate and intentional, well organized scam by people who are very experienced at this." The manager said the city will keep the public updated as the investigation proceeds.
Next steps: ongoing coordination with law enforcement and continued internal control and training efforts.
