A school principal in Florida fell for an online scam and handed over US$100,000 to a man impersonating Elon Musk.
Jan McGee was serving as the chief authority at Burns Science and Technology School, but the scam has caused her to make her position available and resign from the institution.
Here’s how the scam went down
McGee fell into the trap of the subject, who, under the name of. Elon Musk promised to invest millions of dollars in the school he ran.
This person talked to the principal for several months and was even warned by several staff members that it was likely a scam. However, she paid no heed and ended up writing a check in school funds for $100,000.
The school’s business manager found out what happened and cancelled the check before it was cashed.
Resigns from his position
At the board meeting, some Burns Sci-Tech staff members refused to continue working with McGee and many threatened to resign if she continued to work at the school.
Before leaving the building, McGee said, “I love this school more than anything else. If it means your administration will stay, I will tender my resignation.”
Jan McGee was principal of Burns Science and Technology in Oak Hill since it opened in 2011. The school, with just under 1,000 students, has an A rating and has a huge waiting list.
As detailed by the FTC, many scammers pretend to be celebrities (like Elon Musk) y announce that they will give gifts, “multiplying any cryptocurrency sent to them”.
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