A targeted scam impersonating an executive, vendor, or colleague to redirect payments or data.
BEC attacks impersonate a trusted business contact — a CEO requesting an urgent transfer, a vendor updating bank details, HR asking for payroll changes. They are among the costliest categories of cybercrime by reported losses.
For job seekers and new hires, BEC can appear as a “manager” requesting gift cards or a payroll-detail change soon after onboarding.
Red flags
- Urgent payment or data request from a “boss” by email
- A vendor suddenly changes bank account details
- Request to keep the matter confidential
Deep-dive guide
Brand Impersonation & CEO Gift-Card Scams (BEC) in Hiring
Frequently asked questions
Why is BEC so costly?
BEC targets businesses with tailored, believable requests that move large sums quickly, often bypassing spam filters because there's no malicious link — just a convincing message. It consistently ranks among the highest-loss cybercrimes reported to the FBI.