Disney World Gov Scammed Out Of $722,000
Everyone must be wary of email scammers. Everyone. Disney World’s government agency — Reedy Creek — was tricked out of $722,000.
Now, federal authorities are on the case.
Phishing Scam Costs Reedy Creek
The Orlando Sentinel’s Gabrielle Russon reported:
The FBI is taking over an investigation into how Disney’s governmental agency was duped for nearly $722,000 in an email phishing scheme last year.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office closed its probe of the matter and referred it to the FBI, according to a sheriff’s report. The update was provided in a report released Thursday that was written last month.
The scheme began when an employee at the Reedy Creek Improvement District believed she was receiving emails from a legitimate landscaping vendor and paid out nearly $722,000 to it.
What a number! Thankfully, Disney has recouped much of the missing cash.
Photo Credit: https://www.worldofwalt.com/disney-private-government-disneys-reedy-creek-improvement-district.html
Walt Disney World Recoups Thousands
The Disney phishing case is ongoing:
Reedy Creek ended up recouping all of the money except for about $94,000, according to an Orange sheriff’s incident report released last year… The phishing scheme was “purportedly linked to a larger nationwide investigation being conducted by multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies,” the sheriff’s office was told.
Two men were arrested in Louisiana in May 2018 in connection with the case.
Criminal charges are still pending for Patrick Babila, 34, who is still being held in the Caddo Correctional Center on multiple charges, including three counts of illegal transmission of monetary funds. An update was not immediately available Thursday on Thadius Pugh, 35, the second man arrested, who had bonded out of jail.
