Hackers stole more than $7 million worth of donations from the Jewish Federation of Washington, the organization announced Wednesday.
The theft took place months ago, when all staff were working from home due to coronavirus restrictions, the email said.
“Earlier this summer, while our staff and leadership were working from home due to COVID-19, malicious hackers targeted a donation of the United Jewish Grant Fund of Greater Washington,” said the letter signed by Jewish Federation CEO Gil Preuss, Jewish Federation CEO Mark Levitt, and Federation President Deborah Ratner Salzberg.
"We are actively cooperating with federal authorities in investigating this incident," they said.
The United Jewish Endowment Fund is the focal point for donations from throughout the greater Washington area.
Preuss, Levitt and Salzberg told their members that, according to an internal investigation, no donor information or other organization funds, including a COVID-19 campaign, were breached.
However, the Jewish Federation leadership said it is retaining the assistance of cybersecurity experts to investigate the theft, including lawyers from the firm Arnold and Porter, who are working on the case.
The agency also notified banks and will require all employees to be trained on cyberattacks.
In addition, it hired financial experts to carry out the financial arrangements and ensure the safety of the remaining funds.
The email said the Jewish Federation had submitted a request to its insurers to help recover the losses.
“The safety and well-being of every member of community remains our top priority,” the three executives said in the statement. “We are taking every necessary step to ensure this remains an isolated incident.”
The loss comes at a difficult time for Jewish organizations in the US, which have been hit hard by the pandemic, slashing budgets and laying off staff.
