Chittenden Solid Waste District loses $3M in phishing scam - WCAX

WILLISTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Chittenden Solid Waste District officials say they were targeted by scammers during the construction of the new materials recycling facility in Williston. They say scammers posed as CSWD’s construction partner and contacted their finance team. The scammers convinced them to make two payments totalling $3 million to cover a past due amount and a current invoice. However, after talking to their actual construction partners, CSWD found out that those payments were still outstanding, and the previous requests were fraudulent. CSWD officials say they immediately tried to recover the funds, but the bank was unable to do so. Related Story: Another potential setback for new Chittenden County recycling center They say the scammers were highly sophisticated, using email addresses nearly identical to a real member of the finance team, even including the person’s photo. Officials add they’re conducting a thorough review of the incident and will provide further details as they become available. The new MRF construction off Redmond Road will continue without interruption, with anticipated completion of the project in January 2027. Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.