Evergreen Reporter

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut has seized approximately $3.5 million in funds linked to a business email compromise (BEC) scam, according to an announcement by Vanessa R. Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England.

A BEC scam typically involves email spoofing, where deceptive emails are sent with misleading sender display names. In this case, bad actors impersonated one party involved in legitimate transactions and altered the intended beneficiary account details before payment was made.

The investigation began in July 2024 when HSI and Westport Police looked into a BEC scam targeting a Connecticut business. The company had received an email from an address resembling that of a general contractor’s legitimate email address, instructing them to make payments totaling approximately $5.4 million.

After reporting the incident to Westport Police, HSI traced the stolen money to nine bank accounts that were subsequently seized by authorities. A forfeiture complaint was filed in U.S. District Court as part of efforts to recover the stolen funds.

“These cases demonstrate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to helping victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. She emphasized that civil asset forfeiture allows for quicker recovery of stolen money for victims prior to criminal convictions.

“Business email compromise scams are sophisticated and difficult to detect,” stated HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Krol. He noted that prompt action by businesses and collaboration with law enforcement can increase chances of recovering lost funds.

To prevent falling victim to such scams, individuals are advised to verify email addresses carefully before opening attachments or following instructions and confirm any payment changes directly with recipients via phone or in person.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson is prosecuting this case.