Wire-transfer scheme, ransomware attack – small US town finds itself in criminals’ crosshairs

Municipalities and governments, which are usually loath to act until problems occur, are often easy targets with aging computer systems and employees who have little training around best practices for spotting cybercrime. (Dreamstime/TNS)

That the email was sent by "Richard" was the first clue somebody was up to no good. 

Mayor Richard "Dicker" Cahill of Yarrow Point, Washington, usually goes by his nickname in messages. But that escaped the notice of the town's financial coordinator when he wired US$49,284 (RM193,481) to an unidentified con artist as part of an email scam in August.