Bar Harbor Maine School Targeted By Scammers For $1M+

A targeted financial scam that nearly took more than a million dollars from the Bar Harbor school system is under investigation.

Bar Harbor School Officials Say the Scam Started With a Bank Account Request

MDIRSS Superintendent Mike Zboray sent a notice to the Bar Harbor community about the details of the crime. He says it started with a fraudulent request to change bank account information submitted on January 9, 2025, that was processed by school staff.

Once the Account Info Was Changed, a Legitimate Payout Fell Into Scammers' Hands

Once that change had been made, a legitimate payment request from the Wright-Ryan Construction company for $1,066,754 for the Bar Harbor School construction project was transferred to the fraudulent account. When the school's staff realized what had happened, they immediately notified the Town and local law enforcement. The compromised payment system is now disabled. Now, the FBI is also aiding in the investigation. Bank and insurance providers were also notified and the compromised payment system was disabled.

Quick Work by Bar Harbor and Federal Officials Saved Most, If Not All, of the Money

Zboray says that, as far as school administrators know, the account that received the funds has been frozen and it's believed most, if not all, of the more than 1 million dollars has been recovered. Those monies will be transferred back into a legitimate school district account.

Steps are being taken to secure the school system's financial infrastructure to avoid similar incidents in the future. In addition, the accounts payable staff is undergoing detailed safety training to prevent another similar incident.

In addition, city officials have issued a statement reassuring residents that the city's accounts are secure. The city is working with auditors and financial institutions to review all protocols and procedures, strengthening safeguards against further risks.