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Business & invoices

Business email compromise

A fake executive, colleague or partner uses a spoofed or compromised mailbox to request urgent payments or confidential data.

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Two people reviewing and writing on paper beside laptops

If you have one minute

Pause, then verify independently.

Secrecy or bypassed finance procedures

Before paying

Verify through a known number or in person

See verification steps →

If you paid or shared details

Pause payments and data sharing

See response steps →

Start with these three signs

  • Secrecy or bypassed finance procedures
  • Subtle email address changes
  • Unexpected gift card or staff data requests

How the situation unfolds

  1. Contact

    Familiar email threads, executive messages or work communications.

  2. The lure

    A confidential urgent project needs immediate payment.

  3. The demand and outcome

    Knowledge of the organization and its business makes impersonated messages convincing, using hierarchy and urgency to bypass approvals.

Verify these things before paying

  1. Verify through a known number or in person
  2. Require independent payment review
  3. Enable MFA and check unusual mailbox rules

Already engaged or paid?

  1. Pause payments and data sharing
  2. Alert the bank and security team
  3. Keep original emails and transactions; report to police

Contact your payment provider and local police promptly. The responsible institution must confirm whether a payment can be stopped, disputed or returned.

Keep these records

Original emails and headers
Approvals and verification records
Login or forwarding rule changes
Recipient details and transfer IDs

Keep originals and organise working copies. Never give strangers verification codes, banking passwords, private keys or seed phrases.

Original references

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)Publisher location：United States · EnglishOpen the original reference ↗https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/business-email-compromise

This page summarises public prevention guidance to help recognise methods. It is not an enforcement conclusion about a particular incident. Check the source page for its original title. Procedures and reporting routes vary by jurisdiction. Compiled October 2026.

Related situations

Payment redirection scams

A fake supplier changes bank details near a real payment deadline. The project and invoice are real; the recipient is not.

Read the warning signs and checks

Fake purchase orders

An impersonated company or school sends a large order with forged paperwork, requesting credit terms and fast delivery.

Read the warning signs and checks

Fake invoices and unordered services

An unfamiliar supplier sends an official-looking bill for advertising, listings, supplies or a subscription you did not order.

Read the warning signs and checks