CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Nueces County officials announced Wednesday that the county has fallen victim to a "potential" cyber incident resulting in approximately $2 million in losses, prompting immediate security measures and an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
Interim County Auditor Constance Sanchez, who has held the position for just over two weeks, revealed the incident during a press conference, describing it as a wake-up call for the entire community.
"If Nueces County, with all of its security measures can be scammed, then anyone can," Sanchez warned residents during the announcement.
In response to the incident, county officials have implemented several protective measures:
- All wire transfers have been suspended to prevent future potential fraud
- All payments to Nueces County must now be made in paper format until further notice
- Payroll systems remain operational and unaffected
- Forensic experts have been retained to investigate the incident
Sheriff JC Hooper said that his department has been investigating the case for approximately one week, with a detective assigned to the matter. The sheriff indicated that federal agencies are expected to provide significant assistance in the investigation.
"Our ultimate goal is to recoup all financial losses and then also prosecute those accountable," Hooper stated, though he declined to answer specific questions due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Hooper told 6 Investigates the incident involved money being "sent to the wrong place," though he said words such as hacking or a system breach would not be used.
Hooper said the Sheriff's Office first became aware of the incident when the county's risk manager began moving forward to recover the loss via insurance, for an amount less than the now suspected $2 million.
The risk manager was asked if law enforcement had been notified during this process, at which point the Sheriff's Office was notified and immediately opened an investigation. It was then officials discovered amount an amount far in excess of the original suspected loss, Hooper said.
He declined to comment on what that original loss was.
Sanchez used the announcement as an opportunity to warn county residents about similar scams, comparing the perpetrators to those who typically target elderly family members.
"There are, unfortunately, many awful people out there wanting to do harmful things. These are the same people who target our grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles, and now Nueces County," she said.
Officials encouraged residents to report suspected fraud to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The investigation remains active, with officials promising to share updates as information becomes available.
County operations continue despite the security measures, though residents conducting business with the county should expect delays related to the new paper-based payment requirements.
