How Cybercriminals Can Steal Thousands from Your Business in Minutes

Your phone buzzes.

A text from your CEO’s number.

“Hey, did you see the invoice from [Vendor Name]? Just got an email saying we’re overdue. I told them we’d take care of it today. Can you process it now?”

You switch to your inbox.

There it is—an email from [Vendor Name].

Subject: URGENT: Past Due – Immediate Payment Required

You open the email. The vendor is frustrated. The payment was due weeks ago. They’re threatening to pause service.

The email thread looks completely legitimate. Your CEO’s response is in the middle of the conversation:

“Apologies for the delay—I can’t believe we missed this. We’ll get you folks paid ASAP.”

At the bottom, a final instruction from the vendor:

“Please forward this to [your name] and I will have them process it immediately.”

You check the sender’s email address. It’s from the vendor’s real domain. It even has the “External Email” warning your company uses.

Everything looks normal.

You forward the email to accounts payable, authorizing the transfer. It’s a standard wire. Nothing unusual. The invoice matches previous ones.

And just like that, $22,000 is gone—straight into a hacker’s hands.

How Hackers Pulled Off the Perfect Scam

This wasn’t a random phishing attempt.

It was a carefully planned, AI-enhanced business email compromise (BEC) attack—executed in minutes. Here’s how it happened:

1. They compromised your vendor’s email account.

  • Hackers target vendors, suppliers, and partners first—not just your company.
  • Once inside, they send emails from real accounts, bypassing spam filters and security warnings.

2. They inserted a fake CEO reply into the conversation.

  • Instead of emailing you directly, hackers spoof an ongoing thread to make it look like your CEO already approved the payment.
  • Buried in the middle, the CEO’s message seems like part of a natural back-and-forth exchange.

3. They created a fake invoice—using AI to match every detail.

  • Hackers copy your vendor’s real invoice format, using AI to generate exact amounts, due dates, and references to past work.
  • Logos, wording, and payment terms all mimic legitimate invoices.

4. They sent a follow-up text—from your CEO’s number.

  • Using caller ID spoofing, attackers send a text that appears to come from your CEO, reinforcing urgency.
  • The text pushes the request through—faster than normal approvals.

5. They used real vendor information—so nothing seemed suspicious.

  • The payment request wasn’t random—it was for a real vendor your company does business with.
  • The urgency felt real because the vendor was actually owed money.

Your Email Security Didn’t Stop It—Because It Couldn’t

This attack didn’t involve a fake domain or a poorly written phishing email.

It came from a real vendor’s compromised email account.

  • Your email filters didn’t catch it.
  • Your finance team didn’t question it—because the CEO’s approval was already there.
  • The spoofed text message sealed the deal.

And just like that, the money vanished.

Once You Pay, You Become a Bigger Target

Think this was a one-time mistake?

The moment that wire transfer goes through, your company is marked as an easy target.

Now, the attacks escalate:

  • More fraudulent invoices start coming in.
  • Attackers attempt higher-value transfers—$50,000, $100,000, even more.
  • They test other vulnerabilities, looking for ways to steal even more.

You Have Two Choices: Train Your Team or Learn the Hard Way

If your employees aren’t trained to detect these AI-enabled scams, they will fall for them.

And when they do, your insurance provider may refuse to pay.

Why? No evidence = no defense.

What You Can Do Right Now

  1. Train your employees on real-world cyber scams.
  • They need to recognize AI-generated fraud tactics.
  1. Implement multi-step payment verification.
  • A second approval process—outside of email—can stop fraudulent wires.
  1. Get proof of cybersecurity training.
  • If you can’t prove your team was trained, you have no defense against lawsuits or denied insurance claims.

We Make Cyber Training Easy—and Verifiable

Want a cyber awareness program that covers these advanced AI-driven scams?

We offer:

  • Self-Defense Training for end users
  • Tech-Defense Training for system administrators
  • Documented evidence that your team is trained—so you can prove it in court or to your insurer

Don’t wait until you’re the next victim. Let’s lock down your defenses today. Contact us now.