MERCER ISLAND, Wash. — Mercer Island has recovered most of the money it lost in a check fraud scheme discovered last year, the city announced Wednesday.
City officials reported that the fraud occurred in January 2025, when someone posing as a legitimate city contractor contacted staff and requested a change to the mailing address for future payments. The message reportedly used accurate identifying details and appeared to come from a valid email domain. After the request was routed to the Finance Department, the address was updated and a check totaling $420,350.94 was sent to the fraudulent address.
The city said the issue came to light in February 2025 when the legitimate contractor notified the city that a payment had not been received. Officials then realized the funds had been diverted and immediately alerted the Mercer Island Police Department, banking partners and the Washington State Auditor’s Office…