A financial employee at the N.C. Global TransPark fell victim to a sophisticated email wire fraud scam. The incident, resulting in the theft of approximately $35,000, has been reported to state authorities and is being investigated.

The scam targeted business email and wire transfer payments. “Business email compromise” is a sophisticated scam carried out by fraudsters compromising email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfer of funds.

The Global TransPark, which is an industrial and business park based in Kinston, is a division of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Upon learning of the scam, the NCDOT notified its account holders. The State Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Information Technology’s Cybersecurity and Risk Management Office and the Office of the State Auditor are conducting a thorough investigation of the incident.

State and federal officials are working to recover the stolen funds. NCDOT is conducting an internal review of the incident to prevent other cyberattacks. The agency has alerted employees to be vigilant against email scams.

“These types of scams are a growing risk to state and local governments,” said North Carolina’s Chief Security Risk Officer Maria Thompson. “That’s why we require employees to receive cyber awareness training to alert them to always be suspicious of social engineering techniques geared at seeking personal information or money. Employees should always stop, think and verify before taking any action.”

No further information is available at this time.