CEO fraud, a form of business email compromise (BEC), is when an attacker poses as a senior leader and pushes an employee to make an urgent payment or share sensitive data. It arrives by email from a spoofed or hacked account, by text, by a cloned-voice call, or in a deepfake meeting. It is one of the most costly kinds of cybercrime reported by businesses.
Common patterns
- “I’m in a meeting, can’t talk. Need you to process a wire today.”
- A request to buy gift cards for clients or staff.
- A confidential acquisition or legal matter that must bypass normal approvals.
- A follow-up call that sounds exactly like the executive.
Why callbacks and email rules fall short
Calling back the number in the email reaches the attacker. Replying to the email reaches the attacker. If the executive’s real account is compromised, every message from it looks legitimate. Teams need a check that does not travel through the channel under suspicion.
How Rooky stops it
Rooky’s Verify Request mode sends the executive a request on their own registered phone showing exactly what is being approved: who, what, and when, such as a $42,000 transfer today at 14:32. They confirm with Face ID or a fingerprint, and their device signs the response. If they did not ask, they tap Denied, and your team has a clear reason to stop.
Because requests expire within minutes, an approval cannot be reused for a different payment later. Rooky does not read your email or join your calls.
Rolling it out
- Install Rooky for executives, finance, payroll and anyone who can move money.
- Write it into the payment policy: no Rooky confirmation, no transfer.
- Contact hello@rooky.app about Rooky for teams.
Frequently asked questions
What is CEO fraud?
CEO fraud is a scam where an attacker impersonates a senior executive to pressure an employee into an urgent payment or data transfer. It is a type of business email compromise (BEC).
How do companies prevent CEO fraud?
By verifying high-value requests through a separate channel the attacker cannot control. Rooky asks the executive to confirm the exact request on their own phone before anyone acts.
Does Rooky replace our payment approval process?
No. It strengthens it by adding an identity check tied to the specific request, so approvers know the requester is real.
Verify the person, not the channel
Get Rooky, add the people you trust, and check before you act.
More guides
- How to Protect Yourself From AI Voice Cloning Scams
- How to Verify Someone on a Video Call Is Not a Deepfake
- How to Verify a Supplier Bank Details Change (Payment Redirection Fraud)
- “Hi Mum” Scam: How to Check It’s Really Your Child Texting
- A Family Safe Word Alternative That Scammers Can’t Copy
- Caller ID Spoofing: How to Know Who’s Really Calling
- Friend’s Account Hacked? How to Verify Messages Asking for Money