Shawnee Hills Loses $54K in Paving Payment Scam, Ohio Auditor Issues Recovery Order
Shawnee Hills, a small village in Delaware County, Ohio, with fewer than 1,000 residents, became the victim of a payment scam involving a local road project. The village was supposed to pay more than $54,000 to Strawser Paving Company in Columbus for a 2024 asphalt repair project.
Instead, the funds were mistakenly wired to a woman in California after the village’s fiscal officer, Shirley Roskoski, received fraudulent banking details via email. The Ohio Auditor of State’s office investigated the matter and released an audit report on September 25, 2024, identifying a finding for recovery of $54,388.20. According to the report, Roskoski, the California recipient, and Roskoski’s bonding company are “jointly and severally liable” for the misdirected funds.
The audit noted that Shawnee Hills officials did not respond before the report’s release. Roskoski declined to comment when approached by media on September 26.
Clay Strawser, vice president of Strawser Paving Company, confirmed that the village eventually paid the company for its work, which included minor asphalt road repairs. He also mentioned that fraud attempts like this happen several times a year, with scammers posing as legitimate contractors to divert payments.
The Shawnee Hills Village Council had approved the paving project contract with Strawser Paving Company on September 9, 2024. The following day, Roskoski received an email request for electronic payment information, which she believed to be legitimate. On October 16, she authorized the transfer to the fraudulent California account.
The state auditor’s report advised stricter safeguards, urging fiscal officers to confirm vendor bank account details directly with verified employees before making any electronic payments.
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