CEO fraud

CEO fraud is a type of business email compromise where the scammer pretends to be a company leader, such as the CEO, a director or the head of finance. Messages often start small, like "Are you free? I need a quick favour", then ask for gift cards, an urgent bank transfer, or staff tax records. They usually stress secrecy and time pressure, and may come from a personal email or a new WhatsApp number. Increasingly, scammers add deepfake voice or video calls. Real leaders follow the normal process and do not ask staff to buy gift cards. Always confirm through a known channel before acting.