KCBD Investigates: Scammers hit Lubbock County Courthouse, Secret Service helps recover money

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - More than half a million dollars is back in the right hands after scammers hit the Lubbock County Courthouse.

Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish said he was first informed of the issue when a third-party vendor called and said they had not received a payment.

“We looked at accounts payable and we had paid it,” Parrish said.

Parrish said during the investigation, he learned the email they had received from the third-party vendor had a different routing number.

“Everything looked legitimate,” Parrish said.

County officials notified the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’ve got some folks who are very well trained in cyber crimes who were able to immediately start pursuing the electronic end of that,” said Lubbock County Sheriff Kelly Rowe.

Rowe said they also contacted the United States Secret Service who helped them trace the money to a bank in San Antonio.

“They had actually scammed the bank as well. It wasn’t just a Lubbock County scam,” Parrish said.

Rowe said thanks to tools available through the Secret Service, they recovered the entire amount which is just over $566,000.

Rowe said tracking down the money proved easier than tracking down the people behind the scam.

“It’s probably international, which is going to make it far more difficult to find them,” Rowe said.

Parrish said they made changes to policies at the courthouse in hopes something like this does not happen again.

“We have gone to a double verification form meaning that if there is a change in any bank routing then it is double verified,” Parrish said.

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