ST. AUGUSTINE, FL., June 5, 2024 — The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller is proud to announce the newly implemented vendor management system, PaymentWorks, has actively safeguarded county government from a scam attempt. This achievement underscores the Clerk’s Office’s commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars through innovative and proactive measures.

“Clerk Patty’s dedication to protecting taxpayer dollars was validated with the recent interception of a scam attempt,” said Clerk Designee John Rundgren. “We extend a special thanks to PaymentWorks for their cutting-edge technology, St. Johns County Commissioners for their support, and to county staff for their continued vigilance.”

A recent incident highlighted the effectiveness of this partnership when a county employee reported a suspiciously urgent attempt of a customer wanting to update banking information. The employee directed the customer to update their information through the PaymentWorks platform. When the customer persisted to contact the government agency, the employee contacted the vendor by phone and it was discovered that the scam involved a fraudulent mirror copy of the real vendor’s email address. 

“PaymentWorks has provided the comptroller’s office a level of security and reassurance that we did not have prior to its implementation,” said St. Johns County Clerk’s Office Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Dwala Anderson. “We have to be right every time while the scammers only have to be once. This system helps us stay one step ahead of them and protect the public’s dollars.” 

The St. Johns County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office manages approximately 13,000 vendors, processing an average of 3,824 vendor invoices per month. With the high-volume of vendor relations activities conducted daily by the county comptroller, the PaymentWorks platform has significantly enhanced the financial integrity of St. Johns County, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are shielded against fraud.