Naples, Florida Loses $700K in Spear Phishing Cyberattack

Officials in the southwest Florida city of Naples say they lost $700,000 in a recent cyberattack.

The Naples Daily News reports that the attack was a “spear phishing” effort targeting a specific person or department and that appeared to be from a trusted source.

Authorities say the money was paid to a fake bank account the attacker provided while posing as a representative from the Wright Construction Group, which was doing infrastructure work in downtown Naples.

City Manager Charles Chapman says the attack was an isolated incident and has not impacted the city’s data systems.

Chapman says a criminal investigation has been launched.

Other Florida cities including Key Biscayne, Riviera Beach and Lake City have also been targeted in cyberattacks.

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