LE CLAIRE, Iowa — Editor's Note: The video above is from May 7, 2021.
Officials for LeClaire in eastern Iowa say the city was scammed out of more than $220,000 by thieves posing as vendors the city has worked with.
The Quad-City Times reports that $222,373 in city funds were sent to three fraudulent accounts that had been disguised to resemble those of legitimate city vendors.
Officials say the scam occurred over a four-month period starting in November. City Administrator Ed Choate said the city has recovered $120,618 by freezing the accounts.
Choate says the city is continuing to work with the FBI, the city’s bank and its insurance carrier to recover or reach a settlement for the remaining funds, which totals to about $102,000.