The Government of Guam’s Department of Administration (DOA) has recovered $1.6 million stolen in a cyberattack that targeted the Judiciary of Guam and the Governor's Office announced Wednesday.
According to DOA, the theft occurred after a known Judiciary email account was compromised in a “spoofing” attack. The hijacked account was then used to send fraudulent instructions redirecting routine inter-agency fund transfers to an off-island bank account.
Officials said the entire scheme was carried out electronically, with no in-person verification that might have prevented the transfer.
DOA Director Edward Birn said the funds were recovered because security measures were immediately activated once the breach was detected.
“Once alerted to the possibility that the government was a victim of a cybercrime, security protocols we have in place were quickly activated,” Birn said, adding that recovery was possible because “all the right moves were made” once the breach was identified.
Spoofing involves cybercriminals disguising themselves as trusted sources — through email addresses, IP addresses or websites — to bypass security systems and commit fraud.
The case remains under active local and federal investigation, and officials said only limited details are being released to protect government-wide cybersecurity protocols.
Due to the sophisticated nature of the attack, Adelup said there will be no additional comment at this time.