Cyber criminals attempt to steal £1.4m from Barnsley Council

The organised crime network tried to steal the cash in June, but it was recovered by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, Met Police and the council’s internal insurance fund arrangements.

Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of Barnsley Council, said: “In June 2021, an organised crime network deliberately tried to steal almost £1.4 million from the council.

“We picked this up quickly through our internal security systems and all the money has been recovered through the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, Met Police and our internal insurance fund arrangements.

“I want to be clear that this doesn’t have a financial impact on our taxpayers and our services to the public.

“I’m proud of our excellent record for managing our finances, and our accounts are good compared to other local authorities.

“I’m angry that these criminals have attacked us in this way. It’s despicable that people steal money from organisations that provide public services. Even more so, as we’re one of the country’s most deprived areas and have been hit hard by the pandemic.

“Criminals continue to exploit new technology to undermine and target businesses and individuals. More and more organisations, including councils such as Hackney, have fallen victim to this. We’ve tightened up our own processes and we’re still talking to the banks on how they can help to protect us in the future.

“I want to thank the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and the Met Police for their investigations into this crime.”