Money taken from Dickinson Public Schools through email scam seized from Citibank account

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have seized nearly $4.9 million in money fraudulently obtained from Dickinson Public Schools during a business email scam.

The money taken on March 27 was traced to a Citibank account.

A civil forfeiture complaint was filed along with a federal warrant to seize the money.

On April 22, Citibank issued a check to the United States Marshals Service for the full amount.

They are now going through the legal process to get the money returned to Dickinson Public Schools.

It is still an ongoing criminal case to determine who was behind the theft.

Authorities have issued a warning for people to be caution and pause before responding to emails, that could turn out to be scams.

“The FBI remains committed to protecting Americans from scams of all kinds, including business email compromises,” said Special Agent In Charge Christopher Dotson. “We are proud of the work with our law enforcement partners and will continue to investigate and prosecute unscrupulous scam artists.  We will also continue to educate the public on ways to avoid becoming a victim.”

To learn more about how to spot an attempted scam, and what to do if you fall victim, visit the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center webpage and review their public service announcements, including the December 19, 2025 alert “Senior U.S. Officials Continue to be Impersonated in Malicious Messaging Campaign.”