Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: Transnational organized crime groups are becoming more brazen against U.S. companies in their use of a sophisticated scam known as business e-mail compromise, or BEC.

Martin Licciardo: What we have seen is the groups which might traditionally go for $50,000 to $100,000 are attacking companies for $10 to $50 million at a time, if not $100 million.

Halpern: That was Supervisory Special Agent Martin Licciardo. He explains that the BEC scam happens when perpetrators exploit communication gaps in companies to pressure employees to transfer money to criminally controlled bank accounts—without the employees’ knowledge.

Licciardo: I think it's important to note that victim companies should look at themselves and say, "Hey, are we doing enough to protect ourselves from attacks of BEC proportions?"

Halpern: The scheme is an example of how transnational organized crime groups have moved into the cyber arena to illegally support themselves.

Licciardo: We've moved into the 21st century of organized crime, and the Bureau's moved into the 21st century of attacking those transnational organized crime groups.

Halpern: Learn how to protect your business from the BEC scam at www.fbi.gov. I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau with FBI, This Week.