SCRANTON, Pa. — Crooks targeting taxpayer money managed to steal almost $60,000 late last year by scamming a Lackawanna County government official, court records and interviews show.
The Lackawanna County district attorney's office last month filed search warrants in county court seeking the identities of IP addresses associated with an electronic fund transfer seemingly made to the vendor that supplied rental tents for December's annual Winter Market on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.
In reality, the person requesting the funds of Maureen McGuigan, the county's director of Arts and Culture, was a criminal who mimicked the email and tone of McGuigan's usual point of contact for the tent rental business, L & A Tent Rentals, of New Jersey.
"You feel violated," McGuigan said. "It’s shocking. I didn’t even know this was a scam."
For years, McGuigan worked to put together the Winter Market, an annual pop-up village in Scranton’s downtown that showcases small businesses just in time for the holiday shopping season. L&A Tent Rentals has been her go-to source for event tent rentals since 2018.
Last year's Winter Market was no different.
The county awarded L&A the contract and finance records show the county paid out $56,689.75 in January. to cover the rental bill.
McGuigan says the funds were transferred electronically as an ACH— or automated clearing house — payment after she emailed back and forth with Steven Campbell, her usual L&A point of contact.
In an interview, McGuigan said it was a scam. Little did she know, the person on the other end was not Campbell. She unknowingly transferred taxpayer money to someone who mimicked his email and tone.
That became clear once the real Campbell started inquiring about L&A’s unpaid invoice.
The deception left her shocked, she said.
"Maybe if I went back...I don’t know," McGuigan said. "To me, they were very similar to the types of communications I’ve had with them before."
McGuigan made a report in February with the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office. According to court paperwork, investigators filed search warrants last month to try and find out who was behind the scam. The district attorney’s office confirms it remains an ongoing criminal investigation.
The county says they’ve filed an insurance claim to recoup the stolen money and billing records show L&A’s invoice was finally paid in April. Campbell confirmed the correct business received the funds this time.
As for the Winter Market, it’s expected to return to Courthouse Square this December. However, vendors will be housed in tents bought outright for $175,000, raised through the county’s share of state online gambling taxes.
Meanwhile, McGuigan says she’s spent the intervening months learning far more about social engineering scams and how to spot them. She says she’s now far more skeptical.
"It’s really crazy how it’s changing, how fast and smart these criminals (are)," McGuigan said. "And you know we think, ‘Oh I would never fall for that’ or… ‘How did she,’ but the reality is anybody can fall for it."
"Especially when they play on that trust that you have, or established relationship, or they have information," she continued. "I would tell everybody: don’t even trust if it looks… I mean, that was a problem — they had the logo, they had the email signature. It looked completely legitimate."