Business Email Compromise (BEC) is one of the most damaging and costly cybercrimes that target businesses. Here’s how it works; first, the scammer does their homework. They scan social media, websites, and other publicly available information about a company and its employees. Then, the scammer will target an employee, sending them a phishing email posing as a trusted colleague, boss, or vendor. They trick the victim into divulging sensitive information about the company or sending money.
One of the most common types of BEC scams is when an executive’s or employee’s email account is hacked through phishing. The attacker will then message a vendor requesting payments to be sent to a fake account controlled by the attacker.
We’re seeing increasing instances of this in our area. We want you to be aware so you can take precautions to protect your information.