Fake urgent wire transfer authorization Business Email Compromise (BEC) — fraudulent email impersonates an executive or manager demanding an immediate wire transfer, bank transfer, or ACH payment while instructing the recipient to bypass normal approval channels, keep the request confidential, and not verify through usual procedures — a hallmark Business Email Compromise pattern that causes billions in annual corporate fraud losses

Business Email Compromise (BEC) emails impersonating a CEO, CFO, or senior manager urgently demanding that an employee initiate a wire transfer, bank transfer, or ACH payment immediately — while explicitly instructing the recipient to bypass normal approval processes, keep the request confidential, not verify through usual channels, and act before end of day. BEC wire fraud is the most costly form of cybercrime globally, overtaking ransomware. Key facts: (1) BEC wire transfer fraud caused $4.57B in reported losses in 2023 (FBI IC3 2024) — the #1 cybercrime loss category for 5 consecutive years; average loss per incident exceeded $120,000; (2) BEC attackers typically compromise or spoof executive email accounts and send requests during sensitive periods (Friday afternoons, holidays, business travel) when verification is less likely; (3) The three BEC hallmarks are: (a) urgency + current business day deadline, (b) confidentiality instruction ("do not tell finance"), (c) bypass of normal approval channels — all three together are nearly definitive; (4) Legitimate wire transfer requests from executives follow established processes, involve multiple approvers, and are never accompanied by instructions to bypass verification. Warning signs: all three BEC hallmarks present, non-company-domain sender, amount > $10,000, unfamiliar receiving bank account.