East Bridgewater Select Board Tables $425K Fraud Investigation Proposal, Demands Focus on System Failures

EAST BRIDGEWATER — August 4, 2026 — The East Bridgewater Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday morning to table a proposal retaining cybersecurity firm Custom Online to investigate a $425,000 wire transfer fraud, citing concerns that the vendor’s proposed scope of work prioritized future safeguards over explaining how the initial breach occurred.

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The Select Board convened an emergency 9:00 a.m. session specifically to evaluate a scope-of-work proposal from Custom Online, a consulting group previously engaged by the local school district. On June 1, 2026, the Town of East Bridgewater was targeted in a data breach resulting in $425,000 being fraudulently wired to individuals impersonating town litigation counsel. While law enforcement maintains an active criminal investigation, municipal leaders scheduled an independent administrative review to determine internal policy gaps and email vulnerabilities.

Upon reviewing the vendor’s submitted proposal, board members noted that the draft focused heavily on forward-looking cybersecurity protocols rather than auditing the specifics of the June 1 incident. Board members emphasized that any third-party engagement must follow a distinct two-phase structure: first, conducting a thorough investigation to identify where email security or internal controls broke down; and second, establishing corrective measures based on those findings.

“What I think this board wants to know is how did this happen in the first place? Where was the breach in email? What were the red flags that could have been caught? ... I want them to be able to talk to you, I want them to talk to Rebecca, see what failed.” — Select Board member Carole Julius