A Nebraska school district, Broken Bow Public Schools, lost over $1 million in a cyber scam earlier this year. The district was tricked by a sophisticated phishing email that impersonated a trusted construction contractor, leading it to send a $1.8 million payment to a fraudulent account. The payment was part of a $30 million high school renovation project.

So far, the district has recovered about $700,000 and is working with its insurance provider to recover the rest. Officials say the incident won’t delay the construction or impact taxpayers. The case is under federal investigation, and it highlights a growing trend—cyber scam losses in Nebraska rose to $46.7 million in 2024, according to the FBI.