Determine And Investigate Service: Email Compromise (bec) Scams

Detecting a BEC attempt requires looking for psychological and technical anomalies:

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated social engineering scam where attackers impersonate a trusted source—such as a CEO, vendor, or attorney—to trick employees into transferring money or sensitive data. Because these emails typically contain only text and avoid malicious links or attachments, they often bypass standard security filters. Determining a BEC Scam (Red Flags) Detecting a BEC attempt requires looking for psychological

: Requests that deviate from standard business procedures, such as a CEO asking an assistant to buy gift cards, are common lures. Investigating a Suspected Incident Investigating a Suspected Incident If a BEC attack

If a BEC attack is suspected, investigators follow a technical workflow to determine the scope: Business Email Compromise - FBI are common lures.

: A sudden request to change payment instructions or bank account details for a known vendor is a major indicator.

: Scams often use high-pressure language (e.g., "urgent," "strictly confidential") to force quick action without verification.

: Attackers use "lookalike" domains (e.g., company-inc.com instead of companyinc.com ) or spoofed display names to appear legitimate.