County Treasury Emptied of Hundreds of Thousands of Euros in Internet Scam

The Požeško-slavonska County in Croatia is reeling after discovering that hundreds of thousands of euros have vanished from its treasury due to a sophisticated internet scam. County Prefect Antonija Jozić confirmed the significant loss but remained tight-lipped about the specifics, citing an ongoing investigation.

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The entire Požeško-slavonska County, and the rest of Croatia, were quite surprised by the announcement by Prefect Antonija Jozić that hundreds of thousands of euros had disappeared from the county treasury.

Sources suggest that county employees fell victim to a phishing email, which provided attackers with access to the county's accounts. This allowed for the fraudulent transfer of substantial funds. While the exact amount is still being determined, it is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands of euros. This incident has raised concerns about the security protocols in place for managing public funds, especially given the large sums involved.

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The Prefect was mysterious and did not want to say anything more, adding that an investigation is underway to determine who stole so much money from the county coffers and how.

While the county's annual budget is approximately 140 million euros, the loss of such a significant amount is a serious blow. The Požeško-slavonska County, though not among Croatia's wealthiest, relies on its budget for essential public services. The incident underscores the growing threat of cybercrime and the vulnerability of public institutions to increasingly elaborate online fraud schemes. Authorities are working to trace the stolen funds and hold the perpetrators accountable.

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Employees allegedly fell for a fake email, after which hundreds of thousands of euros were withdrawn from the County's account.