Boss impostor and fake invoice scams at work (business email compromise)
A message from your “boss” or a known vendor asks for an urgent payment, gift cards or new bank details.
Could you spot it?
4 quick examples. Decide scam or legit for each.
How it works
The CEO, your manager or a long-time supplier emails or texts from a new address or number. They're in a meeting and need you to buy gift cards for clients, pay an urgent invoice, or update their bank account for the next payment. Some scammers now join video calls using AI deepfakes of executives.
The money goes to the scammer, and businesses rarely get it back.
Red flags
- A new email address or phone number for someone you know.
- Urgency and secrecy: “I'm in a meeting”, “keep this between us”.
- Gift cards for clients, or a change to a vendor's bank details.
- Anything that skips your normal approval process.
What it looks like
You work at a dental practice. Your boss is Dr. Ellen Price.
The tells:
- A new number for someone you know.
- Can't talk, so you can't check by voice.
- Gift cards, and photos of the backs.
- Secrecy.
A training example written for this site. Names, numbers and links are made up, and links are disabled.
What to do
- Verify by calling the person on a number you already have, not one in the message.
- Follow your normal payment approval steps for every change, no exceptions.
If you already paid or shared information
- Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card company, gift card company, payment app or wire service) right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
- If you shared a password, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
- If you gave out your Social Security number or other ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For scams that happened online, you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
From FTC: What to do if you were scammed.
Latest alerts about this scam
No recent FTC, CISA or FBI alerts are tagged with this scam. The guidance below still applies.
Sources
- FTC: Run a small business? Pay your bills, not scammers
- FTC: Protecting small business from imposters
- CISA: Recognize and report phishing
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