A phishing scam has left a Hartland village trustee out $1,200 after falling victim to a fraudulent email scheme.
According to TMJ-4, the scammer posed as Village President Jeffrey Pfannerstill and requested the trustee purchase gift cards for a supposed staff surprise.
The scam email appeared credible, leading the trustee to buy the gift cards and send photos with the codes scratched off. However, the email address used by the scammer was not an official village account. By the time the trustee realized the deception, the funds were irretrievably lost.
President Pfannerstill expressed frustration over the incident. “Someone was just saying they were me, but they weren’t me, they weren’t the village president,” he said.
Initially, the trustee requested reimbursement from the village for the lost funds. However, village attorneys determined that since the money was personal and not public funds, it did not qualify for reimbursement under the village’s insurance policies. Pfannerstill added, “It’s not like the village money was expended—it was personal money that was expended.”
The matter is currently on the agenda for discussion at the next village board meeting, though TMJ-4 reported that the trustee has since decided to withdraw her reimbursement request.
Reflecting on the incident, Pfannerstill said, “I feel very bad for the trustee that this happened to. I think there’s a lesson that can be learned from this to be extremely cognizant.”
This incident serves as a stark reminder to exercise caution with email correspondence, particularly when financial transactions are involved.
