The municipality of Mirassol D’Oeste, located 288 km from Cuiabá, Brazil, was hit by a major cyberattack. The attack led to a financial loss of approximately $250,000 from the public treasury. The incident was discovered when the municipality’s treasurer attempted a payment and found that there was insufficient balance in the account. This triggered an immediate investigation into the matter. Mayor Hector Alvares confirmed the attack in an interview and assured that local authorities were working with law enforcement. The investigation was opened by the Mirassol D’Oeste Police Department, but specific details are not being shared yet.
The Municipal Treasury Department became suspicious when irregular movements were detected in the account. As soon as the department raised the alarm, actions were taken to limit further losses. One of the banks managed to block two accounts before any additional transactions could be made. However, another bank was unable to stop the fraudulent transactions in time. Upon further investigation, the treasurer found three unauthorized transfers. One of the transfers was made to a personal account for $38,000. The second transfer was directed to a company for $39,000. The third transfer was sent to a pharmaceutical business for $37,000.
In addition to these transfers, an investigation by Caixa Econômica Federal revealed another troubling discovery.
A sum of $130,000 had been transferred to a private bank account, making the total loss around $250,000. This further raised the alarm about the severity of the cyberattack. Local authorities are now focusing on tracking the perpetrators and recovering the stolen funds. The municipality has not yet confirmed if the stolen money can be recovered. They are in close collaboration with law enforcement and are committed to finding the culprits.
The municipality of Mirassol D’Oeste has begun revising its cybersecurity measures to avoid further incidents.
Officials are carefully reviewing digital security protocols to strengthen the city’s defenses. While the recovery of the stolen funds remains uncertain, the city is working hard to ensure future attacks are prevented. The authorities are committed to improving cybersecurity and protecting public resources. They hope to make significant progress in securing their financial systems against future cyber threats.
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