Fresno Unified targeted in check fraud scam. District says it recovered millions of dollars

Fresno Unified was a target of check fraud scheme that involved millions of dollars, the school district announced Friday.

Approximately $7 million of unauthorized checks from Fresno Unified to one of its vendors were attempted to be cashed by scammers.

The school district said it was notified by the Department of Homeland Security that the scam was part of a larger check fraud ring.

The district added that “through swift action” about $4 million in funds were prevented from being lost.

“To date, some of the stolen funds have already been recovered,” Fresno Unified said in a news release. “And we anticipate that all remaining funds will be fully recovered in due time.”

Fresno Unified said the district has investigated internally and revisited its controls and processes to ensure it was keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of fraud.

The district is continuing to work closely with the law enforcement and investigative agencies.

Fresno Unified said that while the County of Fresno is a signatory on our checks, it had no involvement in this fraud and bear no responsibility for the actions that took place.

This story was originally published September 20, 2024, 7:51 PM.