Cyberattack defrauds a South Carolina county out of $1.5M
TL;DR
Laurens County, South Carolina, was defrauded of $1.5 million in a cyberattack where criminals impersonated a contractor via email, leading to fraudulent electronic fund transfers. The county has filed a lawsuit seeking to trace and recover the stolen funds, including damages and legal costs.
Source: GoLaurens.com
Laurens County filed a lawsuit alleging unknown cyber criminals initiated a cyberattack and defrauded the South Carolina county. Around Dec. 15, 2025, cybercriminals began contacting the county via email impersonating Mashburn Construction, a contractor for the county. The cybercriminals provided the county with fraudulent electronic funds transfer (EFT) instructions directing funds be sent from the county to an account held at Wells Fargo. Laurens County initiated four EFTs totaling $1,558,288 to the account with the intent to make payments owed the contractor from the county. Laurens County is asking for expedited discovery and emergency relief to trace the flow of funds and to recover the stolen funds. The county is seeking monetary damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. Full Story