Scammers steal $11K from Somerset County after posing as commissioner, police say

State police are investigating after someone who posed as a Somerset County commissioner stole $11,295 from the county.

Troopers said in a news release that the county treasurer’s office received on June 8 an email, believed to be from a county commissioner, which requested a wire transfer to a company for goods and services. That transfer was completed, police said.

A second wire transfer was requested by email five days later for $23,740. Officials learned that the email requesting the transfers was fraudulent and that request was not fulfilled, police said.

The Federal Trade Commission says it is difficult to identify a person who accepts a wire transfer and there’s typically no way to recoup the lost funds. Phishing emails can appear to be legitimate but scammers use them to get access to personal information, according to the commission.