An Internet virus was used to steal more than $30,000 from a fund that pays Dixon Rural Fire Protection District pensions, Dixon police told saukvalley.com, and they have traced the virus to a person in Massachusetts,
Police also have subpoenaed information on six accounts in banks across the country where the missing funds were transferred to determine if the user is linked to those accounts, Detective Sgt. Matt Richards said. That information may be in hand by mid-July.
The fire department contacted city and state police on May 17 after Sauk Valley Bank reported several unauthorized transfers from the account used to pay pensions.
Police believe someone in the fire department accessed an internet site that had a virus attached to it. That virus infiltrated the network and accessed bank and other personal information.
The computer and the bank account have since been replaced, Fire Chief Norris Tucker said. Six people now are drawing from the $3 million pension fund via paper check rather than direct deposit, fire officials have said.