Within a week of being scammed out of $48,600, the county had been notified that $34,360.70 had been collected and would be returned. This was good news, but County Treasurer Kevin Wondra said it needed to be determined into what account both the expenditure and receipt of funds would be booked.  

This action was taken by the commission when it met Monday morning. 

Both the loss and the recovery would be entered into the Treasurer’s Office account of the general fund. They will fall under the professional services line.

However, it was noted that there would be a notation that the money was not spent or received as part of regular county business, outlining what had happened. This is important, County Clerk Donna Zimmerman said, so that the amounts will not be taken into consideration in future budget planning.

The county’s auditing firm, Adams, Brown, Barren and Ball, have signed off on the idea, Zimmerman said.

On Thursday, June 2, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office received notification from Wondra that some of the funds in the recent email scam had been recovered.

In an email received by the Sheriff’s Office, Wondra said a check for $34,360.70 was being sent from Suntrust Bank of Georgia in Atlanta. The treasurer went on to say the difference of $14,239.30 had already been withdrawn by parties on the receiving end of the crime. 

It was at about 9 a.m. Friday, May 13, the Barton County Treasurer’s Office received a series of emails instructing staff to transfer funds by bank wire from the county general fund to the bank. The emails were alleged to have come from the Barton County Administrator’s Office.  

Then, on Monday, May 16, $48,600 was transferred. The next day, during the normal course of business, a Treasurer’s Office employee requested information as to how the transfer should be recorded. 

The County Administrator’s Office replied it had no knowledge of the transfer. It was at this time the crime was discovered.