43,000 lei was the value of the invoice that the accountant of a distribution company was about to pay. A known supplier, an invoice like any other. Only one detail was different: the IBAN.
Someone had compromised the supplier's email and was sending real invoices with a changed bank account. No viruses, no spectacular attack — just an email that looked perfectly normal. This is one of the most common and most costly frauds in business (Business Email Compromise).
What saved the company was a simple rule, set months earlier: any change of bank account is confirmed by phone, at the number already known — not the one in the email. The check cost a two-minute phone call; skipping it would have cost 43,000 lei.
Technology helps, but simple procedures stop the most expensive frauds. We implement them for every client, as part of the IT maintenance subscription.
This article was generated with AI assistance.