A supplier emails new banking details just before an invoice is due. A hotel receptionist receives a booking complaint with a document to download. A dispatch employee gets a message asking them to sign in to view delivery instructions.
Each request could fit a normal working day. That is what makes it worth checking before acting.
To spot a scam email, check the sender, the destination of links, and what the message asks you to do. Verify unexpected payment changes or sensitive requests through a trusted contact method. Good spelling and familiar branding do not establish legitimacy. Meteor Networks helps Ontario businesses strengthen email security and staff awareness.
What AI Changes and What It Does Not
Generative AI can help criminals produce fluent messages, translate them, and tailor wording using public information. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security warns that malicious emails may lack the spelling and grammar mistakes people expect, particularly when AI tools are involved.
That does not mean every scam uses AI or every poorly written email is fraudulent. Convincing impersonation and targeted phishing existed before these tools became widely available.
Staff do not need to determine whether AI wrote a message. They need to confirm whether the request is genuine and authorized.
Five Checks Before You Act
1. Examine the Request
Examine the Request
Pause when a message asks you to change banking details, send money, share sensitive information, disclose a verification code, or bypass an approval process.
Urgency, secrecy, and pressure to make an exception deserve particular attention. A genuine deadline should not override your verification process.
2. Check the Full Sender Address
Check the Full Sender Address
Expand the sender details instead of relying on the display name. Look for misspelled domains and an unexpected reply-to address.
A matching address is helpful, but it is not proof. Criminals can use compromised supplier or employee mailboxes, including existing email conversations. Verify unusual requests even when the sender looks familiar.
3. Use a Trusted Route to Sign In
Use a Trusted Route to Sign In
For an unexpected account warning or document-sharing request, open the service through your saved bookmark, official app, or known website. Check there for the notification or document.
On a computer, hovering over a link can reveal its destination without opening it. Do not click just to investigate an unfamiliar address. Apply the same caution to QR codes: scanning one can lead to a fraudulent sign-in page.
An HTTPS padlock means the connection is encrypted; it does not establish that a website belongs to the organization it claims to represent.
4. Confirm Payment Changes Independently
Confirm Payment Changes Independently
Call the supplier using a number already held in your approved records. Do not use contact details supplied in the message requesting the change.
Check the payee, banking details, and reason for the change, then follow your normal approval process. Apply this rule to genuine-looking replies as well as new messages.
For example, a logistics company receiving revised carrier payment instructions should verify them with its established contact before updating the supplier record. A hotel should do the same for a maintenance contractor’s new bank account.
5. Treat Unexpected Attachments as Unverified
Treat Unexpected Attachments as Unverified
Confirm that the sender intended to send the file and that it fits the work you are doing. A familiar filename or logo is not enough.
Do not enable macros, install software, or turn off security controls because an email says it is necessary to view a document. Report suspicious files through your approved IT process.
If Someone Already Clicked or Responded
Report it immediately, even if nothing obvious happened. Tell IT what was clicked, whether a file was opened, whether credentials or codes were entered, and when it occurred. Preserve the message for investigation using your organization’s reporting procedure.
The response depends on what happened:
- Credentials entered: IT may need to reset credentials, revoke active sessions, and review account activity and mailbox changes. A password reset alone may not address every form of access.
- File opened or software run: IT should assess the device and decide whether isolation or further investigation is necessary.
- Money sent: Contact the bank immediately through a trusted number and notify the person responsible for payments. Prompt action may help recovery, but recovery is not guaranteed.
Avoid blame. A clear reporting route helps people raise concerns while there is still time to respond.
Give Staff More Than a List of Warning Signs
Email filtering, device protection, secure account settings, and staff training should work together. No filter catches every malicious message, and employees should not carry the whole responsibility for prevention.
Set a consistent procedure for payment changes and sensitive requests. Use phishing-resistant MFA where supported, keep software updated, and make suspicious-email reporting easy. MFA helps protect accounts; it does not prevent someone from authorizing a fraudulent payment.
How Meteor Networks Can Help
Meteor Networks provides cybersecurity services for Ontario businesses, including email protection, endpoint security, and security assessments.
We can help review your protections and discuss practical steps for handling suspicious messages across your team.
Schedule a discovery call or call (905) 595-4444 to discuss your business email security.
