Stop. Call. Verify.
Business email compromise (BEC)—also known as email account compromise (EAC)—is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many of us rely on email to conduct business—both personal and professional. Criminals send an email message that appears to come from a known source making a legitimate request, like in these examples:
- A vendor your company regularly deals with sends an invoice with an updated mailing address.
- A company CEO asks her assistant to purchase dozens of gift cards to send out to employees.
Here are a few ways to protect yourself:
- Verify payment and purchase requests in person or by calling a verified phone number.
- Do not call a phone number included within an email without verifying if it's legitimate.
- Be especially wary if the requestor is pressing you to act quickly.
- Carefully examine the email address, URL, and spelling used in any correspondence.
- Be careful with what information you share online or on social media.
How to report:
- Contact your financial institution immediately and request that they contact the financial institution where
the transfer was sent.
- Next, contact your local FBI field office to report the crime and file a complaint with the Internet Crime
Complaint Center (IC3).
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