Construction Pros: Your Inbox Could be the Biggest Jobsite Risk

In today’s digital landscape, Business Email Compromise (BEC) is one of the most financially devastating cyber threats facing companies, and it’s only getting more sophisticated. What used to be easy to dismiss as laughably bad grammar from a “Nigerian prince” has evolved into highly targeted, convincing attacks that can cost businesses thousands, or even millions of dollars, and if you’re in the construction industry, you’re in the crosshairs.

Why Construction Companies Are a Prime Target

Construction businesses often manage large, fast-paced transactions, work with multiple vendors and subcontractors, and process invoices frequently, making them an ideal target for cybercriminals looking to infiltrate the financial workflow. Add the challenge of decentralized teams and remote communication, and the risk skyrockets.

How Business Email Compromise Works Today

Modern BEC scams don’t rely on broken English and far-fetched stories that we got used to rolling our eyes at before reporting and deleting. Instead, they use AI-enhanced language tools to craft grammatically correct, contextually relevant, convincing emails. They spoof or compromise legitimate email accounts, often from executives, vendors, or finance departments, and use these to send urgent, seemingly routine requests for wire transfers or payments.

For example, in 2023, Studco, a steel building manufacturer, suffered a BEC attack where fraudsters compromised the company’s email system through phishing. They impersonated a vendor and instructed Studco to send payments to a fraudulent account. The company unknowingly transferred $558,000 to the scammer’s account. In a landmark legal case, Studco successfully sued the financial institution involved and was awarded the full amount in damages. Although Studco ultimately prevailed, the case demanded significant intangible resources and posed a genuine risk of defeat. Source: Clark Hill

Without the proper safeguards in place, these emails can slip through undetected until it’s too late.

3 Layers of Protection: People, Policy, and Process

The good news? You can significantly reduce your risk by implementing smart, proactive defenses.

1. Institute a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Financial Requests

Make it impossible for a single email to authorize a payment. Your SOP should clearly outline:

• Who is authorized to request funds
• What steps are required to validate a request
• Which platforms (email, secure portals, etc.) are approved for financial communication

This minimizes the chance of an urgent-sounding message short-circuiting your normal controls.

2. Enforce Validation Policies

Every payment request, especially those over a certain dollar amount, should be verified through an independent channel. For example:

• Confirm via a phone call to a known number (not one provided in the email)
• Use multi-person approval workflows
• Flag and review any change in vendor banking details

Make verification a non-negotiable part of your financial process.

3. Train Your Team to Spot Spoofed or Fake Emails

Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue, it’s a company-wide responsibility. Regular training should cover:

• How to check sender addresses. Can you spot the difference? (Sorry, no prizes given)
  •  ja******@yo*********.com vs. jane.doe@yourc0mpany.com
  • mi**********@bu****************.com vs. mi**********@bu********************.com 
  • am***@ri*****************.com vs am***@ri****************.com 
  • lu****@ir***************.com vs. lu****@1r***************.com
• How to recognize red flags such as urgency, unusual payment methods, and poor formatting
• What to do if they suspect a phishing attempt
  

Phishing simulations can be a great way to test readiness without the real-world risk.

Stay Ahead of AI-Powered Threats

Artificial intelligence has made it easier for attackers to craft professional, legitimate-looking messages. This raises the bar for defense. Relying on outdated “gut checks” like spotting typos or broken grammar won’t cut it anymore. Your team must be trained to think critically, follow policy rigorously, and always verify before acting.

A Few Final Thoughts

Business Email Compromise is no longer an amateur’s game, it’s a well-organized, incredibly annoying, high-stakes hustle. In high-transaction industries like construction, protecting your business requires a multi-layered defense protocol that combines technology, policy, and people. By establishing clear SOPs, enforcing strict validation policies, and empowering your team with training, you can turn your company from an easy target into a hardened one. 

Visory can help close the gaps cybercriminals exploit, by strengthening your people, policies, and processes. Don’t wait for a wake-up call, proactively protect your financial workflow. The best way to deal with those pesky scammers is to lock them out. 

Stay skeptical. Stay secure. And always verify.