Commercial Insights
Email fraud: A survival guide

Article 6 min read Updated February 19, 2026

Here are a few ways to spot the telltale signs of a fraudulent email, and what a business should do if it finds itself the victim of a scam.

In today’s technology-driven world, email is vital for conducting business quickly and efficiently. At the same time, as with any technology, bad actors often take advantage of the heavy reliance of businesses on this tool to defraud victims.

That makes it important to always be aware of potential business email compromise (BEC). While it’s easy for smaller businesses to believe they aren’t a likely target, the opposite is actually the case. Email fraud targets organizations of all kinds and sizes—from school systems to multinational corporations. And no business is immune.

“It is absolutely imperative that all businesses educate themselves to potential threats that can arrive via simple email,” said Jeff Taylor, Head of Commercial Fraud Forensics at Regions Bank. There are two common ways that business email can be compromised.

Email-borne malware

Malware (malicious software) uses any number of codes written to hack into a business’ computers or even the entire network. Much like a Trojan horse, Taylor pointed out, email fraud hackers use a seemingly harmless email to introduce software into a computer via an internet link or an attached file. Once that link is clicked or the file is opened, the malware can infect both the computer of the recipient as well as other computers or servers on the network.

The specific type of malware in an attack can vary depending on what email fraud hackers are trying to accomplish. For example, malware might take the form of a program that records every keystroke of the recipient, allowing them access to banking information, usernames, and passwords.

Fake email

Email fraud hackers can also attack a company by either infiltrating or posing as a trusted vendor. Upon gaining previous access to that vendor’s systems, they may hack email accounts or create account names that closely resemble those of the vendor.

In turn, this allows a hacker to send seemingly innocuous emails to customers or clients that closely resemble the vendor’s correspondence. An example? An email titled ‘vendor change of terms’ to an Accounts Payable department might ask that company to now send regular digital payments to a new, fraudulent bank account and routing number. And once that payment is made to a fraudulent account, the money is almost impossible to get back.

Taylor also pointed out another strategy that hackers now like to use. “Fraudsters have become skilled at using email to pose as an executive of a company to request the origination of a payment in hopes that employees will comply. Or a fraudster will pretend to be an employee and request a change of direct deposit from payroll.”

Suspect an attack?

The first and best line of defense is creating a culture of fraud awareness throughout the organization. It is critical to educate staff about potential cyber threats, including what to look for and what steps to take.

“One good way to thwart many cyber-attacks?” said Taylor. “Taking the time to confirm unusual requests. One method that’s very effective is to use STOP-CALL-CONFIRM. That means before paying the invoice, STOP the process, CALL the requestor at a known number (not the number in the message), and CONFIRM the request is legitimate.”

If a successful attack is suspected, the first move should be to contact both law enforcement and the company’s business bank immediately. While it’s important to file a report with local police about the email fraud, realize that cybercrimes fall most often within the jurisdiction of the FBI. To submit claims online, visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

“The other important thing to do? Document everything that happened,” said Taylor. “Learning from the incident will help you avoid the same attack again.”

Proper preparation using cybersecurity processes and education is the best way to prevent these attacks.