PORTLAND, Ore. — By promptly contacting law enforcement about an alleged online scam, the FBI and the Oregon District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office could seize $6,748,680 fraudulent funds belonging to the City of Portland.
Portland Was the Target of an Online Impersonation Scam
In February this year, the City of Portland was the target of a business impersonation scheme in which the scammer posed as an employee of a company contracted by the city. The scammer accessed the city’s computerized payment scheme and allegedly altered information about a contractor’s bank account.
The following month, law enforcement was notified by the city about funds diverted to an unauthorized bank account that was a payment intended for a contractor.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI obtained a federal seizure warrant on 16 April 2025, seizing the fraudulent funds that had not been moved out of the unauthorized account…