Wire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
ACH Fraud
ACH fraud is unauthorized or deceptive use of Automated Clearing House credits or debits.
Read full definitionShouldEye Trust Intelligence Glossary
Wire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams Terms
Wire fraud vs wire-transfer fraud, BEC, APP fraud, invoice diversion, and recovery scams — educational, not legal advice.
Educational information only. ShouldEye does not provide legal, banking, or individualized financial advice. Dispute rights, deadlines, and outcomes depend on your payment method, card network, issuer, processor, jurisdiction, and the facts of your case. Legal Disclaimers
29 published definitions in this topic.
Wire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Authorized Push Payment Fraud
Authorized Push Payment (APP) fraud is when a victim is tricked into approving a payment to a fraudster account.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Bank Transfer Scam
A bank transfer scam tricks someone into sending money via bank transfer to a fraudster.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Beneficiary Bank
The beneficiary bank is the financial institution that holds the account receiving a wire or transfer.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a scam that hijacks or impersonates business email to redirect payments or steal sensitive information.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
CEO Fraud
CEO fraud impersonates a senior executive to pressure staff into sending money or data.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Email Account Compromise
Email Account Compromise (EAC) is unauthorized control of a real email mailbox used to send trusted-looking fraud.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Fake Check Scam
A fake check scam uses a counterfeit or bad check, often with an overpayment, to extract real money from the victim.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Fraudulent Wire Instructions
Fraudulent wire instructions are payment details crafted or altered so a legitimate payer sends money to a fraudster account.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Funds Tracing
Funds tracing follows where money moved across banks or payment providers after suspected fraud.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Intermediary Bank
An intermediary bank sits between originating and beneficiary banks on some cross-border wires.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Invoice Diversion Fraud
Invoice diversion fraud uses fake or altered invoices so payers send funds to fraudsters.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Last-Minute Payment Change
A last-minute payment change is a sudden request to alter where or how money should be sent, often used in diversion scams.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Money Laundering
Money laundering is processing criminal proceeds to disguise their illegal origin.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Money Mule
A money mule is a person whose account is used to receive and move proceeds of crime, sometimes knowingly and sometimes after recruitment scams.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Mule Account
A mule account is a bank or payment account used to receive and relay illicit funds.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Originating Bank
The originating bank is the institution that sends a wire or push payment on the payer’s behalf.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Payment Diversion Fraud
Payment diversion fraud redirects a legitimate payment to an attacker-controlled destination.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Payroll Diversion Fraud
Payroll diversion fraud changes direct-deposit details so wages go to a fraudster account.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Phantom Vendor
A phantom vendor is a fake supplier set up to bill an organization for goods or services never provided.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Real Estate Wire Fraud
Real estate wire fraud diverts closing or earnest-money wires using fake escrow or title instructions.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Recovery Room Scam
A recovery room scam charges victims upfront fees to “recover” money lost to earlier fraud.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Secondary Victimization
Secondary victimization is when fraud victims are targeted again, often by fake recovery services.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Structuring
Structuring is breaking transactions into smaller amounts to evade reporting or monitoring thresholds.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Vendor Impersonation
Vendor impersonation pretends to be a known supplier to divert accounts-payable payments.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Fraud
Wire fraud is a jurisdiction-specific criminal offense involving schemes that use interstate wire, radio, or television communications to obtain money or property by fraud.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Transfer Fraud
Wire transfer fraud is the diversion or initiation of a bank wire so funds go to a fraudster-controlled beneficiary.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Transfer Recall
A wire transfer recall is a request to try to reclaim a wire after it was sent, often after suspected fraud.
Read full definitionWire Fraud and Money-Transfer Scams
Wire Transfer Reversal
A wire transfer reversal is an attempt to undo a wire payment after initiation or completion.
Read full definition