SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The Town of Surfside Beach provided a statement on Thursday regarding an ongoing cybercrime investigation involving a contractor payment intercepted by cybercriminals.
The town is pushing back against what it describes as false and misleading information circulating on social media about a cybercrime incident that led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for a contractor payment.
In a statement released Thursday, town officials said some social media posts have spread inaccurate claims about the case and do not reflect the current status of the investigation.
“The Town of Surfside Beach is aware of false and inaccurate information circulating on social media regarding the ongoing cybercrime incident,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, some individuals continue to share misleading claims about the situation, despite the Town’s ongoing commitment to transparency and factual communication,” part of the statement read.
The town said the posts often focus on perceived errors or missteps “with malicious intent” while key investigative efforts remain underway.
Officials also addressed a recent insurance-related development.
RELATED: Surfside Beach says contractor payment was likely intercepted in cybercrime case
According to the statement, the Finance Director received correspondence this week from Great American Insurance Group saying that the company declined coverage for legal fees associated with responding to a contractor’s request for payment and any third-party claims alleging money is owed.
“The Town’s insurance coverage related to the loss remains fully intact,” the statement said.
Surfside Beach officials said it is still awaiting the results of an independent forensic audit, the investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and ongoing recovery efforts by the town’s financial institution.
The update comes weeks after Surfside Beach announced investigators found no evidence that the town’s internal network had been breached.
Officials previously said the cybercrime likely involved the compromise of a contractor’s system or the interception of communications between the contractor and the town, resulting in payment funds being redirected to a fraudulent account.
SLED and the FBI continue to investigate the case.
Town officials said they remain engaged with all agencies involved and will provide additional updates as verified information becomes available.
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