As a business owner, you’re constantly juggling priorities to build growth, customer satisfaction, and financial health. But there’s a silent threat that could undo all your hard work in a single click: Business Email Compromise (BEC).

What is Business Email Compromise?

BEC, also referred to as email account compromise (EAC), is a type of cyberattack where criminals impersonate someone you trust—like a vendor, employee, or even you—to trick your team into sending money or sensitive information. These emails often look legitimate and are timed to catch you off guard.

Unlike spam or obvious phishing scams, BEC is targeted, convincing, and costly.

Why You Should Be Concerned

In 2025, BEC attacks have become more frequent and more sophisticated. Small and mid-sized businesses are now the #1 target, with average losses exceeding $120,000 per incident. And here’s the kicker: most of that money may never be recovered.

How Business Email Compromise Can Hit Your Business

• Fake Invoices: A scammer poses as a supplier and sends a realistic invoice with new payment details.
• CEO Fraud: An attacker pretends to be you and asks your finance team to urgently wire funds.
• Payroll Diversion: Hackers trick HR into changing an employee’s direct deposit info.
• Vendor Account Takeover: A real vendor’s email is hacked and used to send fraudulent requests.

These attacks often happen during busy periods—like tax season, holidays, or while you're traveling—when your team is more likely to act quickly without double-checking.

How to Protect Your Business

Here are five practical steps you can take today to protect your business from BEC:

Train Your Team: Make sure employees know how to spot suspicious emails and verify unusual requests. 

Here are a few BEC Training tips:

• Simulate phishing emails: Run regular, realistic phishing simulations to test and train employees.
• Teach the signs during onboarding and consistently remind team members: Show examples of suspicious emails—look for urgency, misspellings, or unusual requests.
• Encourage skepticism: Reinforce that it’s okay to double-check, especially for financial or sensitive requests.  Picking up the phone to call someone for confirmation of requested changes is a good first step!
• Use the “hover test”: Teach staff to hover over links to see the real URL before clicking.

1. Use Two-Step Verification: Require multi-factor authentication for email and financial systems.
2. Verify Payments: Always confirm changes to payment details or large transfers by phone or in person.
3. Business Fraud Protection: Understand and consider Fraud Protection services, such as Positive Pay.
4. Secure Your Domain: Use email authentication tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prevent spoofing.
5. Have a Response Plan: Know what to do if you suspect fraud—time is critical in recovering funds.

BEC isn’t just an IT issue—it’s a business risk. But with the right awareness and safeguards, you can protect your company, your clients, and your bottom line.

Contact INB to learn more about implementing Fraud Protection Services for your business.