Pleasant Township Hit by $191,000 Cybersecurity Incident
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio – Pleasant Township officials are investigating a cybersecurity incident that resulted in the theft of $191,000 in taxpayer funds. The incident, discovered late Saturday, has prompted an ongoing investigation and raised concerns among residents.
Details of the Incident
According to Trustee Edward Sheets, he was notified Sunday morning that approximately $191,000 was missing from the township’s checkbook. The theft occurred through nine separate transactions. Officials confirmed that the transactions did not originate from a township computer and they currently believe employee information was not compromised, though staff have been advised to monitor their accounts as a precaution. 10TV reported on the incident Tuesday.
Township Response and Investigation
In response to the incident, passwords have been updated, and the township’s bank account has been frozen to prevent further unauthorized activity. The township’s bank is investigating the fraudulent withdrawals and anticipates reimbursing the funds following its investigation. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has been notified and is assigning a detective to the case, alongside investigations conducted by the township and the bank’s cybersecurity department. 10TV
Resident Concerns
The incident has sparked concern among Pleasant Township residents. Matt Montoney, a 24-year resident, expressed disbelief that the township lacked sufficient preventative measures, stating, “I can’t believe they didn’t have some things in place that would prevent something like that happening.” He also emphasized the need for accountability and recovery of the stolen funds. 10TV
Impact on Township Operations
Despite the financial loss, officials have stated that the incident will not impact township operations, including fire department response and budgetary allocations. Pleasant Township Fire Chief Dave Whiting confirmed that the department will continue to function without disruption. 10TV
Pleasant Township Trustees
The Pleasant Township Board of Trustees consists of Ed Sheets, Randi Good, and Nancy Hunter. Pleasant Township Website Trustee Nancy Hunter described the situation as “a rough weekend” during Tuesday night’s trustee meeting. 10TV
Contact Information
Ed Sheets: 614.746.4313, edsheets@aol.com
Randi Good: 614.316.0675, rgood@pleasanttownship.com
Nancy Hunter: 614.620.3730, nhunter@pleasanttownship.com
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