Apparently West Virginia state has been scammed. They owed some $2,000,000 to two companies and when payment was requested it was to a different bank account. So instead of verifying the change of bank account with the companies (after all it WAS $2,000,000 not some piddling amount) they promptly handed the money over to a thief instead. God knows where the money will end up or who with.
Our revered state auditor Glen Gainer was quoted at a press conference as saying:
“For us to go back and make thousands and thousands [of phone calls], I don’t have the staff to do that.”
I make it a total of two phone calls – one to each company – to have verified the change. Funny, you know I would have sworn that the ability to count would have been a prerequisite for the position of state auditor.
“My position is the vendors are the ones who are out. We’re not paying the vendors again.” Gainer said. He also said the state has not lost any money because it acted in good faith when it paid the companies.
I beg your pardon? Speaking as the owner of a small company payment by a creditor is a subject close to my heart. The key word Mr. Gainer is PAID. You did NOT pay. You handed over the money to a criminal instead.
Let’s just reverse the issue for a moment. Suppose I owed West Virginia state a payment of $100 for state tax and I was scammed and paid a thief instead. Does anyone really think that for one second WV state is going to say:
“That’s alright. You acted in good faith. We’ll forget all about it.”
Anyone think they’ll go for that? Yeah, right.
Pay up Mr. Gainer.
