Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Business email compromise, often abbreviated BEC, is a form of fraud in which criminals impersonate a trusted business contact or gain access to an email account to redirect money or obtain sensitive information. A handyman firm might receive an apparent supplier message changing payment instructions, or an employee might be pressured to send invoice details urgently. The message can look convincing even without a suspicious attachment or link. Verification through a known phone number or another established channel is safer than relying on the message itself. BEC is a specific business-focused threat within a broader category of phishing and impersonation fraud. Email authentication helps, but it cannot eliminate every account takeover or deception attempt.