MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis construction company is suing Memphis River Parks Partnership for sending nearly $400,000 to a scammer instead of them.
This comes weeks after WREG uncovered that a similar scam cost the City of Memphis $773,000.
Last April WREG took you inside Memphis’ newly renovated Cossitt Library in downtown Memphis. But, the company behind that makeover says they are still waiting to get paid nearly $400,000.
“It’s the work that we’ve done and we just want to get paid for the work that we’ve done,” said Chris Hendrix, COO of Nickson General Contractors.
Though their office sits on Summer Avenue, Hendrix says their work on Front Street has led them into a 4-year legal battle with Memphis River Parks Partnership.
“For whatever reason, they wired $378,000 of our money to the bank in Michigan,” said Hendrix.
Court documents show that Nickerson is now suing MRPP for $378,204.50.
They say MRPP wired the money to a thief instead of the company in a phishing scam in 2020 when someone pretended to be Nickerson and requested a wire for an invoice.
“Their response back to us was that they paid us. They said it was our responsibility that we got hacked and they just followed the orders of the email,” Hendrix said.
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An email from September 2020 shows MRPP agreeing to the transaction.
We reached out to MRPP, and in a statement, they say in part that they have a long history of paying contractors in full and on time.
“Memphis River Parks Partnership remains committed to being a responsible fiscal steward of community resources. We take pride in the fact that the construction of Tom Lee Park set a milestone with 42 percent MWBE participation, significantly exceeding the City of Memphis goal of 25 percent for the project. We have a long history of paying every contractor in full and on time. As a mid-sized nonprofit, we understand the importance of paying people promptly.”
When we asked specifically about this payment, they said, “I wish we could tell the whole story, but unfortunately, we’ll have to let the lawyers handle that.”
Hendrix says they are due back in court in September.