North Miami residents are on edge after Mayor Alix Desulme disclosed that his personal Gmail account was hacked in a ransomware attack. This cyberattack has severely disrupted city operations, leaving many services unavailable online.
While City Hall has reopened, residents are currently only able to pay bills in person using cash or checks, as the city's electronic payment systems remain offline.
In a letter addressed to residents on Sunday, Mayor Desulme revealed the extent of the breach: “This incident, which targeted me as your mayor, resulted in unauthorized access to my personal Gmail accounts. As a result, sensitive personal information, including my passport details, bank statements, credit cards, and private images, were potentially compromised.”
He reassured the public that the attack only affected his personal accounts and did not compromise any City of North Miami systems. However, the disruption to city services has been significant, with online payments being one of the most critical areas impacted.
Local residents have expressed their frustrations and concerns over the situation. Jacqueline Kemp, a North Miami resident, shared her experience at City Hall, “Everything went smooth. I paid my bill, I got my receipt, and I’m happy.”
But not all residents were as fortunate. Vella Clement, who tried to pay her water bill, faced difficulties due to the outage,“The water bill is too high. We do not have enough money to pay cash. So I tried to pay with a credit card. I still cannot pay it because the system is down.”
The ongoing system outage has left many residents worried about the potential exposure of their financial information, especially those who typically rely on online payment options.
“That concerns me because I usually pay by check and they can have your checking information. Sometimes, I pay online and they can even get your email and hack into your home system,” Kemp added.
The city is working to restore full services, but the situation is further complicated by Florida law, which prohibits state, county, or city agencies from paying or complying with ransom demands. Residents remain uncertain about when the issue will be fully resolved, adding to the growing anxiety within the community.
