Sedgwick County employee scammed into buying purported gift cards with taxpayer money

A Sedgwick County employee was duped into using $800 in taxpayer money to buy gift cards in a phishing scam, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

The email asked the person to buy gift cards to “recognize employees in the Sedgwick County Public Safety,” Lt. Tim Myers said in an email.

The employee, who works in the Public Safety Department, was on a county computer and used a county credit card to buy four $200 purported gift cards and his personal credit card to purchase another $200 fake gift card, Myers said.

Several employees received emails asking to “make various financial transactions,” Sedgwick County spokesperson Kate Flavin said in an email. It was reported to the sheriff’s office before noon after it was discovered an employee took the bait.

Sedgwick County employees are not allowed to use county credit cards to purchase gift cards, Flavin said. The employee will be disciplined, she said.

This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 5:13 PM.