In April 2026, the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains’ Yankton Club fell victim to a cyberattack known as a “deepfake fraud,” resulting in a loss of $200,000. 

In regard to the children and families we serve, we would like to emphasize that:

• No personal or health information was compromised in the attack.
• No financial data - such as credit card numbers or bank accounts - of donors or families who access Boys & Girls Club programs and services was compromised.
• There will be no changes to facilities, programs or staffing levels due to this incident.
• Our system is secure, and additional layers of security have been added to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. 

The affected funds came from a reserve account used for things like building maintenance and emergency needs of the Yankton Club. We are heartbroken that funds meant to improve the lives of children won’t end up where they were intended, and we are blessed to have the flexibility to deal with this situation without impacting the work we do. 

Please direct any questions or concerns to Jody Hernandez, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains.

The threat of cyberattacks

AI provides many new benefits and opportunities for society. At the same time, this incident has highlighted for us how vulnerable society is to new forms of cyberattacks. 

Microsoft's security research team has named this moment the “trust economy,” where trust has become both a currency and a vulnerability. This affects everyone, including children.

Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains is now planning a digital safety program called “Safe Connections” for the children and families we serve. Safe Connections will bring digital safety education to the youth at every one of our 19 sites and to their families. 

We will communicate the details of Safe Connections once our plans are finalized.