Thieves steal $2.5 million from state funds

Thieves steal $2.5 million from state funds


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Utah officials are trying to track down scammers who stole more than $2 million from the state.

The theft happened last August.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports the state thought it was paying the money to the University of Utah's design and construction department. Court documents reveal the thieves obtained a vendor number, a tax number, and then forged the signature of the department head to sign up for electronic deposit into the bank account of a truck driver in Arlington, Texas.

The thieves diverted $2.5 million, and the account holder wrote about $700,000 worth of checks before the fraud was discovered and the account was frozen.

The state has recovered some of that $700,000.

The Utah Attorney General is investigating the case. It's unclear if there have been any arrests.

E-mail: aadams@ksl.com

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