A rarity has taken place for law enforcement investigators…recovering almost $400,000 dollars stolen by e-mail hackers.
The Brazos County sheriff’s office says timely reporting by the emergency services district that operates the South Brazos County fire department contributed to finding the money.
Hackers intercepted an email of what should have been a payment from ESD one to a vendor.
But prior to the interception, an ESD employee who had a concern about bank account numbers contacted the vendor.
That’s when the discovery was made that the hacker prevented emails from going to their intended recipients by changing the name of the recipient by one letter.
A news release from the sheriff’s office reminded everyone “that fraud schemes continue to evolve, with suspects using increasingly sophisticated methods. Always take the time to independently verify the identity of anyone requesting changes to financial or accounting information, especially when those requests are made electronically.”
News release from the Brazos County sheriff’s office:
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office is providing an update regarding a previously reported fraud case involving Brazos County Emergency Services District No. 1.
On October 21, 2025, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a suspected fraud involving the district. During the investigation, it was determined that an unknown suspect used a deceptive email address that closely resembled a legitimate business email account to request changes to financial account information.
Thanks to the District’s prompt reporting, most of the misappropriated funds were identified and seized. The recovered funds, totaling nearly $400,000, were later presented at a property hearing and officially returned to Brazos County Emergency Services District No. 1.
While our staff was able to successfully recover most of the funds in this case, it is important to note that this outcome is not typical in fraud investigations. In many cases, stolen funds are quickly transferred and are difficult or impossible to recover.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind businesses, organizations, and individuals that fraud schemes continue to evolve, with suspects using increasingly sophisticated methods. Always take the time to independently verify the identity of anyone requesting changes to financial or accounting information, especially when those requests are made electronically.
Statement from Sheriff Wayne Dicky:
I commend our investigators for their prompt and committed work, which led to the successful recovery of the funds, and highlights the critical importance of vigilance, verification, and timely reporting in preventing and resolving financial crimes.
Original story October 31, 2025:
The Brazos County Emergency Services District 1/South Brazos County volunteer fire department loses $400,000 to hackers.
A news release from ESD 1 says the sheriff’s office is investigating hackers intercepting a $400,000 dollar payment to a vendor.
Investigators say hackers prevented emails from going to their intended recipients by changing the name of the email recipient by one letter.
ESD1 president Rodger Stout tells WTAW News that “the ESD is continuing to meet all of its obligations. We have been conservative in our finances and have accumulated reserves for emergencies which are sufficient to cover this loss.”
News release from Brazos County ESD1/South Brazos County VFD:
Officials with Brazos County Emergency Services District #1 (ESD1) are warning the public of a highly sophisticated scam that resulted in the loss of just under $400,000 for the district.
On October 10, 2025, hackers were able to intercept what should have been a payment from ESD1 to a vendor. However, prior to the interception, an employee with ESD1 had a concern about bank account numbers and contacted the vendor.
“Our employee noticed something looked wrong and asked for clarification. Everything was handled correctly,” said ESD1 Commissioner and President Rodger Stout. “Unfortunately, we have since learned that these hackers had been in our system for quite some time monitoring our activity and waited for a large transaction to strike.”
Investigators have told Stout that this is one of the most sophisticated scams they have seen, and it is becoming more prevalent. The hackers prevented emails from going to their intended recipients by changing the name of the recipient by one letter.
“In the case of our vendor, the name was changed so that instead of a lowercase letter “I”, the hacker changed it to a lowercase “L” and changed the font slightly so that it was difficult to see the difference between an i and an l,” said Stout. “First and foremost, we are public servants. That’s why we do what we do. If we can now serve the public by making them aware of this scam, hopefully we can raise an awareness that helps prevent anyone else from becoming a victim. That’s our goal at this point.”
As this case is under investigation by the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, no further details can be released at this time.