Online guide helps employers battle social engineering scams

Chubb Corp. has created a free guide to help employers understand and prevent social engineering fraud.

Social engineering fraud is the act of influencing others to disclose private company information using various forms of communications, including email, phone, the Internet and in-person interactions, according to Chubb.

The “Guide to Prevent Social Engineering Fraud” aims to help employers train their employees on how these tricks occur, and lists measures companies can take to prevent social engineering fraud, such as verifying money transfers via phone or hiring a third-party to test employees, Chubb said Tuesday in a statement.

“Social engineering fraudsters present a growing risk for all businesses, and their trickery is costing some companies as much as $7 million in a single incident,” Christopher Arehart, global product manager for crime insurance at Chubb, said in the statement. “Fortunately, businesses can train their employees to detect these potentially costly schemes.”

The guide follows the launch of Chubb’s social engineering fraud endorsement last year, which aims to protect companies against losses from such schemes.