A recent failed fraud attempt shows not even statewide elected officials are safe from scammers’ efforts to steal your paychecks or access your bank account. Yesterday (Monday), State Auditor Rob Sand hosted a press conference that highlighted an incident from earlier this month in which he was the target of such an attempt. He was contacted by a Department of Administrative Services human resources team member regarding an email they had received requesting a change to Sand’s direct deposit information. Fortunately, the staff member recognized the scam for what it was and contacted him to confirm it was a fraudulent attempt. Sand says this incident should remind all Iowans and governmental entities to be on the lookout for these fraudulent efforts. He encourages payroll managers for city, county, and state governments to independently verify requests to change bank routing information or adjustments to invoices from various vendors or contractors. According to Sand, these fraudulent emails are easily noticeable if scrutinized. Ensure the email is coming from the proper address and URL, look for grammatical errors or inconsistent phrases, contact the alleged requester in person or over the phone to confirm the request, and avoid downloading or clicking files or links included with the message. Fraud attempts should be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Iowa State Auditor’s office as required by Iowa Code.
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FBI Fraud Reporting Link
Office of Auditor of State
515-281-5834