What is business email compromise (BEC) and how can I protect my business?

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is now the single largest source of financial loss from cyber incidents in Australia, with the ACSC reporting losses exceeding $227 million in a single year. Unlike ransomware, BEC attacks rely on social engineering rather than technical exploits, making them particularly difficult to detect.

1. How BEC Attacks Work

Common BEC scenarios include:

• Invoice fraud: Attackers compromise a supplier’s email or create a convincing lookalike, then send invoices with altered bank details.
• CEO fraud: An attacker impersonates the CEO or CFO, urgently requesting a wire transfer for a “confidential” transaction.
• Conveyancing fraud: Attackers intercept property transaction communications and redirect settlement funds to fraudulent accounts.
• Lawyer impersonation: Fraudsters pose as lawyers to redirect trust fund disbursements.

2. Legal Consequences of BEC

If your business falls victim to BEC:

• You may bear the loss. Banks are generally not liable for authorised payments, even if you were deceived.
• Recovery is difficult. Once funds are transferred offshore, they are rarely recovered.
• You may face claims from clients or suppliers whose money was misdirected while in your custody.
• Directors may face scrutiny if inadequate controls are found to have contributed to the loss.

3. Essential Protective Measures

To protect your business:

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all email accounts.
• Verify all payment changes verbally using a known phone number (not one provided in the email).
• Train staff regularly on recognising social engineering tactics.
• Use email filtering that flags external emails or first-time senders.
• Establish dual-authorisation for payments above a threshold.
• Include payment verification clauses in supplier and client contracts.

4. Specific Risk: Property Transactions

Conveyancing transactions are particularly vulnerable to BEC due to large sums, time pressure, and multiple parties. We recommend:

• Never change payment details based solely on email instructions.
• Confirm all trust account details by phone before settlement.
• Include warnings about email fraud in client correspondence.

5. What to Do If You’ve Been Targeted

• Notify your bank immediately – rapid action may allow funds to be frozen before they leave Australia.
• Report to police and the ACSC at cyber.gov.au.
• Engage legal counsel to assess your liability and recovery options.
• Notify your cyber insurer if you have coverage.

Related Topics

• Cyber Insurance
• Data Breach Response
• Conveyancing Process

BEC Prevention & Response

We assist businesses in developing robust payment verification procedures and respond rapidly when BEC incidents occur.

Suspect BEC fraud? Contact Bell & Senior immediately. Call (07) 5532 8777.