WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The signage outside the Civic Center project in White Lake Township states it’s "coming soon," however, the police chief said parts of the project are on hold because of a cybersecurity hack.
“This project has been in the works for many, many years," White Lake Township Supervisor Rik Kowall said.
Kowall said the $50 million Civic Center will create "a sense of place here in White Lake Township. We don't have a hub or a town center."
But now, part of the project is paused because the township has been hacked.
In a letter to residents, Police Chief Daniel Keller reported ”a sophisticated cybersecurity attack that resulted in a compromised financial transaction ...”
“That’s crazy,” White Lake Township resident Abby Smith said. “I guess I’m not really shocked because I feel like it’s starting to happen more and more because of AI and all the, just the way of the world."
Resident Elia Nicholas said, “Stuff happens all over the world. That internet is the... it’s the best thing that happened to this country and it’s the worst thing that happened in this country.”
But what exactly happened in White Lake is still the question.
Thomas Holt, a cybersecurity expert and criminal justice professor at Michigan State University, said these types hacks are happening more frequently.
"In reading it carefully, I think that what might have happened is what we would refer to as a 'business email compromise,'" he explained.
7 News Detroit found other municipalities have also been targeted with similar attacks in recent years.
“We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you can change that routing number or change the account number to one that you control, when those funds hit your account, you then wire them out or move them out of that account that you manage, so that way they can't be refunded or in any way clawed back by the individual," Holt said.
Federal investigators are looking into what happened in White Lake but for now, police say aspects of the Civic Center project are "placed on hold."
7 News Detroit went to the current town hall to find out more about how much money was taken and what it means for the new Civic Center, but the police chief has not responded to those questions.
The town hall was built in the 1930s. The new Civic Center would include a new public safety facility and town hall and is scheduled to be complete in 2026.
“We've outgrown those facilities, and the staff and the residents deserve better facilities to serve the public," Kowall said.
He said he's not authorized to talk about the hack, but he’s hoping the project is still on track.
Meanwhile, the police chief said they’re doing an internal review of the town’s systems and procedures.
