An invoice arrives in your inbox. The content, amount and details are correct, and everything seems to be in order. But there is a small note from the sender: “Please note that we have a new account number.” Is this as it should be – or could it be a fraud attempt?
Always verify the details
Business Email Compromise, or BEC fraud, can affect your company directly, or indirectly through a supplier or business partner. An important protective measure is to always verify the details through a different channel. If account numbers or payment details change, do not act on written instructions alone. Call and verify that the details are correct before making the payment. Always look up the correct phone number yourself – do not use a number provided in the email or on the invoice.
When genuine details are manipulated
By gaining access to a company’s email system, fraudsters collect as much information as possible before they act. Instead of creating entirely fake invoices, they use real invoices and change the account number, which makes the fraud harder to detect. They may use compromised email addresses or create addresses that are very similar to the genuine ones.