In today’s world where we do so much online, we need to watch out for a sneaky trick called “Business Email Compromise” or BEC for short. What is it, you ask? Imagine someone pretends to be your boss or a co-worker in an email, asking you to send money or share secret company details. Sounds scary, right?

According to the FBI, these tricks caused folks to lose $2.7 billion in just one year. The con artists behind BEC are really crafty. They don’t use viruses or bad links that antivirus software can catch. Instead, they play pretend in ways that can be tough to spot.

Here are some common BEC tactics:
1. They change their name in the email to look like it’s from someone you know.
2. They make a minor change to the email address, like using a zero instead of the letter “o.”
3. They create a fake website that’s super close to a real one, with just an extra letter thrown in.
4. They might even break into a real email account and send messages that seem completely normal.

So, watch out if you get an email that’s out of the blue, asking for money quickly or wanting to change where money gets sent.

Here’s what to do if BEC finds its way to your inbox:
1. Stop the problem right away – change passwords, let folks know, and pause any money that was about to be sent.
2. Tell your team about what happened, so they can keep an eye out for any funny business.
3. Call the authorities, like the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, to let them know what’s going on. It could help get your money back and stop it from happening again.
4. Check out your security and make it stronger to avoid future trouble.

It’s super important to always be on the lookout and have solid security to not fall for these BEC tricks.

Want to dive deeper into protecting yourself against BEC? Check out this comprehensive guide on the topic: www.csoonline.com/article/3510855/protecting-against-business-email-compromise-bec-a-comprehensive-guide.html.

And if you ever find yourself in a BEC bind or just want to make sure you’re safe, Diversified Outlook Group is here to help. We’ve got tools and smarts to keep your email safe. Drop us a note at support@diversifiedoutlookgroup.com, and let’s keep those tricky BEC attacks out of your inbox together!