North Dakota School District Loses Nearly $5 Million in Email Scam

Dickinson Public Schools targeted in sophisticated 'business email compromise' fraud scheme

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Dickinson School District in North Dakota has been the victim of a major email fraud scheme, with nearly $5 million in vendor payments being redirected to a fraudulent account. The district says the scam is a 'business email compromise' attack, and the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office have joined the investigation to try and recover the stolen funds.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the growing threat of sophisticated email-based fraud schemes targeting organizations like school districts, which often have large budgets and may not have the most robust cybersecurity measures in place. The scale of the theft, nearly $5 million, is a major financial blow that could impact the district's operations if the money cannot be recovered.

The details

According to officials, the Dickinson School District was the target of a 'business email compromise' scam where two vendor payments from a building fund were redirected to a fraudulent account. The district says efforts are underway to try and recover the stolen $4.92 million, but the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office have had to get involved due to the scope of the fraud.

  • The scam was discovered on February 10, 2026.

The players

Dickinson Public Schools

The school district in Dickinson, North Dakota that was targeted in the email fraud scheme.

FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation into the $4.92 million theft from the Dickinson School District.

U.S. Attorney's Office

The U.S. Attorney's Office has also become involved in the investigation into the major email fraud scheme targeting the Dickinson School District.

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What’s next

The district says efforts to recover the stolen money are ongoing, and the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office will continue their investigation into the sophisticated 'business email compromise' fraud.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the need for school districts and other organizations to have robust cybersecurity measures in place to protect against increasingly complex email-based fraud schemes that can result in massive financial losses if successful.