Fraud awareness training for employees: 6 frauds to train for

Fraud awareness training teaches employees to recognise and stop the scams that aim at them personally: a fake request from the CEO, an invoice with changed bank details, a phone call from a “supplier” who needs a payment today. Good training does not explain fraud in the abstract. It shows staff the exact messages they will receive, lets them practise spotting them and gives them one simple action when something feels off: stop, verify through a known channel and report.

Most payment fraud against organisations does not break any system. It persuades a person to do something they are allowed to do, such as approving a payment or changing a supplier record. That is why the finance team, the office manager and the new colleague in accounts payable are the real targets, and why technology alone rarely catches it. Below you will find the six frauds every programme should cover, why a yearly module falls short and how to set up training that actually changes what people do.

The six frauds that target employees

1. CEO fraud and business email compromise. A message that appears to come from a director asks for an urgent, confidential payment. The tone is rushed, the sender is “in a meeting” and cannot be called. In business email compromise the attacker uses a real, hijacked mailbox, which makes the request even more convincing. We explain the mechanics in our article on what CEO fraud is and what you can do against it.
2. Invoice fraud. A fake invoice, or a real one with altered details, arrives from what looks like a known supplier. It often lands at the end of the month, when the team processes a large batch and checks less carefully.
3. Mandate fraud. Someone posing as a supplier asks you to update their bank details “because we changed banks”. Every future payment then goes to the fraudster, often for months before the real supplier chases an unpaid bill.
4. Payment diversion fraud. The criminal intercepts an ongoing email thread about a payment, for example a property deal or a large order, and slips in new account details at exactly the right moment.
5. Deepfake and phone fraud. A call or voice note that sounds like a manager or finance director confirms the fake request. Voice cloning has made this cheap and fast, which is why we cover it separately in deepfake awareness training.
6. Scam texts and courier fraud. Fraud does not stop at the office door. Scam texts that impersonate a bank or delivery service, and courier fraud, where a caller posing as the police or the bank convinces someone to hand over cards or cash, hit employees at home. The same persuasion tricks then show up at work. Read more about smishing.

What these frauds share is not the channel but the pressure: urgency, authority and secrecy. Training that teaches people to notice those three signals protects them against variants that do not exist yet.

Why an annual fraud module does not work

Many organisations cover fraud once a year, in an e-learning module of half an hour. The box is ticked, but the effect fades within weeks. Fraud awareness is not knowledge you store, it is a reflex you build: the half-second hesitation before clicking “approve”. Reflexes need repetition.

The second problem is timing. Fraudsters follow the calendar and the news: year-end payments, holiday cover in the finance team, a new ERP system, a well-known supplier in the headlines. A module from last spring cannot anticipate that. Short, recurring training can put the scenario in front of people while it is actually happening.

What good fraud awareness training covers

• Realistic scenarios per fraud type. Staff practise with the messages they will really see: the urgent CEO email, the “new bank details” letter, the supplier call. Role matters, so accounts payable gets more payment scenarios than the warehouse.
• Simulations, not just theory. Phishing simulations that mimic invoice and CEO fraud show who would act on a fake request, without the real damage.
• A clear verification rule. Every change of bank details or unusual payment request is confirmed through a channel you already had, such as the phone number in your supplier file, never the number in the email.
• An easy way to report. People who report a suspicious message are your earliest warning. Make it one click and thank them for it, also when it turns out to be harmless.
• Measurement over time. Track how many people report, how many fall for simulations and how that changes per team. That shows where extra training is needed and gives auditors evidence for NIS2 and ISO 27001.

How to set up fraud prevention training in five steps

1. Measure where you stand. Start with a baseline measurement so you know which teams and fraud types need attention first.
2. Map the payment processes. Who can approve payments, change supplier records or release urgent transfers? Those people get the most intensive training.
3. Agree the verification rule. Put the call-back rule in writing and have management back it publicly, so nobody feels awkward checking a director’s request.
4. Train in short, frequent sessions. A few minutes a week beats an afternoon a year. Rotate the fraud types so every scenario comes back regularly.
5. Test, report and repeat. Run simulations, share the results per team without naming individuals and adjust the scenarios to what you see.

The tip: train fraud awareness with Guardey

Guardey turns this approach into a weekly habit. Employees get a challenge of about three minutes, on their laptop or in the mobile app for iOS and Android, covering CEO fraud, invoice fraud, phishing, smishing and deepfakes. Gamification with leaderboards and streaks keeps people coming back, phishing simulations test what they learned and audit-ready reporting shows your progress for NIS2 and ISO 27001. More than 500 organisations, including the European Parliament, already use Guardey. See how our security awareness training works.

Does your IT partner cover the human side?

Many small businesses outsource IT to a managed service provider (MSP), an IT company that runs their systems and security for a monthly fee. Fraud is a blind spot in that setup: the firewall is managed, but nobody trains the person who pays the invoices. It is worth asking your MSP whether that can be added.

For MSPs, Guardey is available through channel partners such as cybersecurity distributor e92plus, which helps partners launch new security services with ready-made marketing campaigns and monthly billing per customer.

Frequently asked questions about fraud awareness training

What is fraud awareness training?

Fraud awareness training teaches employees to recognise fraud attempts aimed at them, such as CEO fraud, invoice fraud and fake calls, and to respond correctly. The focus is on practical signals and a fixed verification rule rather than theory. The best programmes combine short lessons with realistic simulations.

Who needs fraud awareness training for employees?

Everyone, but not to the same degree. Staff who approve payments, handle invoices or change supplier details are the main targets and need the most scenarios. Other employees benefit from the basics, because fraudsters also use them to gather information or reach the right person.

How often should fraud awareness training take place?

Short and often works better than long and rare. A few minutes a week keeps the reflex sharp and lets you respond to new scams as they appear. A single annual module is quickly forgotten.

What is the difference between mandate fraud and invoice fraud?

With invoice fraud, you pay a fake or altered invoice once. With mandate fraud, the criminal convinces you to change a supplier’s bank details, so every future payment goes to the wrong account until someone notices. Both are stopped by the same rule: verify changes through a channel you already trust.

Fraud against organisations keeps changing its disguise, but the pressure behind it stays the same. Teams that have practised recognising urgency, authority and secrecy, and that know it is always fine to call back and check, stop most attempts before any money moves.