Angvlar Security Awareness
CEO fraud and authority impersonation
Handle urgent requests that appear to come from executives or senior colleagues.
Why this matters
Authority, urgency and secrecy can make unusual requests feel difficult to challenge. A healthy security culture expects verification, even when the request appears to come from leadership.
By the end of this lesson
- Recognise the main warning signs
- Choose a safe verification method
- Know when and how to report the situation
What to notice
- Unusual request from a senior person
- Gift cards, transfers or confidential documents
- Personal email address or new phone number
- Request bypasses normal approval
- Pressure not to involve colleagues
- Claim that the executive is unavailable
What to do
- Follow the normal approval process
- Verify through a known channel
- Ask a second authorised person
- Do not purchase gift cards or transfer funds impulsively
- Preserve and report the message
- Leaders should explicitly welcome verification
Frequently asked questions
Is it disrespectful to verify an executive request?
No. Verification protects both the employee and the organisation.
What if the message says the request is confidential?
Confidentiality does not remove approval controls.
Which requests deserve extra scrutiny?
Payments, credentials, sensitive data and process exceptions.