Pine Bluff School District scammed out of more than $3.2 million after cybersecurity hack LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — On Monday, Dr. Jennifer Barbaree, Superintendent of the Pine Bluff School District, announced the district fell victim to a serious cybercrime that scammed the district out of more than $3.2 million. "On December 17, the District processed a wire transfer in the amount of $3,204,639.55 for what was believed to be a legitimate invoice from a trusted construction vendor as part of the District's ongoing construction projects," the statement read. The statement also adds that the Director of Finance contacted the vendor to confirm the receipt of the payment and learned that the company sent the invoice for construction services rendered, but the company did not request the invoice to be paid via wire transfer. At this point, it was revealed the district was subjected to a "sophisticated" cyberattack. According to the statement, a district employee's email account was compromised. Although a legitimate invoice had been received, fraudulent wiring instructions were introduced in the same email thread through a phishing scheme designed to mimic authentic communications. Officials said they were directed to maintain strict confidentiality, which is why this information was not previously released to the public. "Sharing details publicly at that time could have compromised the investigation and potentially hindered efforts to recover the funds by law enforcement. For that reason, we were not able to provide updates sooner." A federal investigation has been underway, and school officials have been informed that the investigation is "largely complete." "Encouragingly, a substantial portion of the funds are expected to be recovered," Barbaree said. "While the exact amount has not yet been finalized by authorities, we anticipate receiving a detailed update on restitution in the coming weeks." The District also filed a claim with