Schools recover $700K after $1.3M cyber theft

by Ariana Joy Cobler

Updated Mon, July 14th 2025 at 12:58 PM

NOVEMER 15, 2023 -Broken Bow Public Schools Bond Renovations (Photo Credit: Build Bow Together's official Facebook page)

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BROKEN BOW, Neb. — Broken Bow Public Schools has announced the recovery of nearly $700,000 following a cybersecurity incident that resulted in a fraudulent $1.3 million ACH transfer. The district revealed that the payment, intended for a contractor involved in an ongoing construction project, was mistakenly sent to a fraudulent account after a sophisticated phishing email was received.

The district immediately launched a full investigation and collaborated with multiple authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service.

"Thanks to their efforts and swift action by our district team, we have successfully recovered nearly $700,000 of the stolen funds to date," the district said.

Efforts to recover additional funds through the district's insurance provider are ongoing. Despite the incident, the district assured the community that the construction project will continue as planned without interruption and that there will be no tax increases to cover the financial shortfall.

"The district remains in a strong financial position due to careful planning and conservative budgeting," the district said.

In response to the incident, Broken Bow Public Schools has implemented new protocols and safeguards regarding wire and ACH transfers to prevent future occurrences. The district emphasized its commitment to transparency and accountability, stating, "We are committed to keeping our community informed and to taking every possible step to safeguard public funds."

The district also took full responsibility for the lack of safeguards that led to the incident, acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances.