A Scammer Posing as Elon Musk Tricked a Florida Principal into Sending $100K in School Funds: 'I Fell for a Scam' Dr. Jan McGee has since resigned as principal of Burns Science and Technology Charter in Oak Hill, Florida.
By Sam Silverman •
A Florida principal is in hot water after falling victim to a scam.
Dr. Jan McGee, principal of the A-rated Burns Science and Technology Charter in Oak Hill, Fla., admitted to sending $100,000 in school funds to a scammer posing as Elon Musk. She resigned on Tuesday night after 12 years in the position.
McGee had been an educator at the school, which specializes in STEM education, since its inception in 2011. She claimed she was "groomed" by someone impersonating SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for at least four months under the promise they would donate millions to the school in return for an upfront payment, according to local news outlet WESH 2.
Volusia County principal resigns after sending $100K to scammer posing as Elon Musk https://t.co/x9bEirYPMA
— WESH 2 News (@WESH) March 29, 2023
Although the principal, who had reportedly been trying to get a hold of Musk for years, was warned by colleagues that she could be involved in a scam, she went ahead and wrote a $100,000 check out of the school's account to someone she believed was Musk's "right-hand man," according to the outlet.
However, McGee wasn't authorized to write a check over $50,000 without the school board's approval, and the school's business manager, Brent Appy, was able to cancel the transaction before the funds were released.
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McGee apologized for her actions at a meeting with the board and community members and resigned from her position. Her husband, who was a teacher at the school, also resigned.
"I am a very smart lady. Well-educated. I fell for a scam," McGee said at the meeting. "I put myself into this position and into this mess and I made a bad decision."
According to the outlet, the school is looking into hiring an investigator to investigate the situation.
