Tripp County officials say they are investigating how the county was scammed out of more than $800,000 in what appears to be a sophisticated email fraud scheme.
According to a joint statement from the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and Tripp County State’s Attorney Zachary Pahlke, scammers spoofed the email of a legitimate county vendor, tricking the Auditor’s Office on October 15 into transferring $826,357 to a bank account controlled by criminal actors.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is working with federal authorities, and officials say details remain limited while the case is active.
In response, the county is partnering with security experts to strengthen internal safeguards and prevent future attempts, emphasizing the need to better protect taxpayer funds.
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