Got scammed and Employer called me stupid

[FidoO5]

Made a massive error at work
I pay suppliers. We had new supplier who emailed to change bank details from original bank details. We usually phone supplier to confirm but it was over and back for a while and it was getting urgent.
I asked them to confirm new details and I sent the payment.
later it was discovered by the original supplier while on phone to buyer that they did not request to be sent to new bank.
My Employer was notified by the buyer and employer said how could you be so stupid.
I broke down and cried when I came off the phone.
I was able to recall the payment but now have to worry about what Employer will do tomorrow. I understand he was angry and annoyed but I am doing Accounts for 35 years so don't think I'm stupid.
I fell for a scam.
Don't know what point off my post is only getting it it in a note makes it helpful
What should I say to Employer tomorrow
If I say yes I made an error his answer is that is not a good enough answer.

These scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques. If you followed the process of how to update / validate supplier info then it suggests the process isn’t strong enough. You’ve apologised and taken steps to correct the error. Of course it ‘could have cost him’ - but that’s precisely the point of the scam! TBH if he calls you stupid or other derogatory words I’d be documenting that as it’s not on.

my friend once fell for similar - say their company was million the scammer had set up an email address as miliion so v difficult to recognise.

You should have phoned, it’s hardly rocket science.

That's great you could recall it.

What's the procedure, is it documented and have you been trained on it? E.g. always phone to verify?

He shouldn't have called you stupid BTW.

How much money was it?

I think that the main issue here is that you didn't follow the company policy. The scam could've been very sophisticated but if you'd followed the policy to the letter, you couldn't have really been blamed. In fact, you could work on improving the policy.

So I guess you have to focus on what actions specifically meant you deviated from the policy and tell them you'll do better.

We usually phone supplier to confirm but it was over and back for a while and it was getting urgent.

Who said it was urgent? Scammers will always try to create a sense of urgency so people dont exercise their usual common sense and control.

You didn't follow the agreed process.

What can you do to make sure noone (including you) makes that mistake again? Where else are your payments vulnerable?

They may be covered by their cyber insurance, assuming they have any.

I'm sorry you were called names. That's not on.

It's a pretty basic error but everyone makes mistakes. In this instance you could recall it and your employee won't have lost more than a few minutes time.

Hopefully he called you stupid in the heat of the moment, will have got a grip by tomorrow, and you can agree a process together, to ensure no-one else is taken in.

Use it as a learning experience.

No matter whats happened its unacceptable to call someone stupid in the work place.

Luckily the money was recalled and maybe you should go over the procedure again with your employer and maybe they can do some company training on scams and phishing emails.

"Well that's the only answer answer can give you. I've already apologised so the balls in your court".

Mistakes happen. It's not as if anyone would have expected a scam like that.

Our multi billion multinational fell for this recently. Nobody is perfect.

You may well have a disciplinary meeting if you didn't follow the businesses process, but this should be with HR and proportionate, not name calling.

Was the payment for a large amount?

it looks like the supplier has been hacked & you have fallen for a phishing scam. One that could have been completely avoided if you had followed process.

don’t be surprised if your employer takes disciplinary action. Request to have a refresher in cyber training.

do invoices need to be checked/signed off by someone else before you pay them? If not, suggest that is added as process.

Promise that you will work with your employer & not disregard process again. Being repentant and making suggestions to help ensure it doesn’t happen again/volunteer for refresher training will put you in a better light.

its so easy to fall for these phishing scans, they are becoming more & more sophisticated & why its super important you follow process and be ultra cautious

Thanks everyone
Yes it was a large sum 57k Canadian dollars
I work for a Canadian company but I work from home in Ireland so we have time difference
The invoice had, been approved for payment but I didn't wait on the verbal agreement of the change of bank account
I am going to suggest double authorize on bank but don't know if that will solve it as, after a, while he will just approve in a hurry and if wrong still be my fault.
Boss is never in the wrong
Thank God I work from home

we all make mistakes, sometimes ive learned people manage people with how they were brought up or what they were taught before being a manager rather than what the management handbook says

You were incredibly lucky that you were able to recall the payment.

I work in accounts and payroll & phoning on a known number to confirm any change of payment details is basic & you didn’t follow company policy on this. It doesn’t matter how urgent it is. Expect to have a disciplinary. I would be very apologetic and make sure that you always follow company policy.

I think I'm more sympathetic to your employer than other posters. You made a massive mistake by falling from a common scam by not following your companies procedures and he made a mistake by calling you stupid.

id never call anyone stupid at work, I think it’s nasty but I bet a lot of people would do similar in his position.
Mistakes happen and you didn’t lose any money and it definitely won’t happen again so id own the mistake and just try to forget it happened .
I think you should allow your manager a mistake as well.

I don't know the laws where you are but is there not any sort of compliance or regulation training you should been obligated by your company to learn this? Which might help your position?

I'm not sure why so many people are going on about how sophisticated a scam this might have been. It was basic and you screwed up by not following a straightforward company policy.

So the question to focus on is why, with 35 years experience, did you fail to follow the simple, and blindingly obvious, policy? What made you feel so pressured on this occasion? Is the policy often ignored, but normally it's not a scam so people have been getting a bit lazy? Has there been management pressure to get more done and that makes you feel like you need to take shortcuts? Are you short staffed? Ask yourself, OP, why you made the mistake this time when you normally don't. And then work out what steps you can take to reassure your boss that you won't be making that, or a similar mistake, again.

How is the double approval supposed to ensure it? Do you expect your boss to call the company too so two people you and your boss, will be calling to check the request to change banks was made?

Massive sympathy to your employer here - this exact same thing happened to us - our bookkeeper of nearly 30 years did the same thing you did without following basic procedure (ie calling supplier direct) and cost us over 130K Euro. We are a tiny company and as a family had to put the money in to cover the payment as it could not be recalled (you are very lucky that it could be). We almost lost the business and it was (and still is) an utterly horrific time. All because someone didn’t follow a simple procedure. And yes we should probably have checked but it was literally her job. We did go down the disciplinary route and she is no longer with us but stupid is the least we called her behind closed doors I can tell you. I expect he was very stressed so I’d reiterate the apology, not get hung up on being called stupid (which it was) and outline how it will not happen again as at the crux of this is that you did not follow a procedure that you were aware of and should have followed.

I think you have been stupid here and I don't blame him for telling you so - you didn't follow procedure, which you say is to call them to confirm. This is the exact reason that procedure is in place!

I guess it helps to catch things if the OP doesn't do her job properly again in the future. The boss may "never be in the wrong" but in this case, he isn't in the wrong - it was the OP who didn't follow basic (and sensible) rules.

Calling her stupid was unprofessional, but what she did was, frankly, stupid.

Then say, "What answer would you like? You know that I'm experienced, and you know that scams dupe people all the time."

Well he's correct it was a stupid mistake. You didn't follow protocol and the result is the company has lost a significant amount of money. That said we're all stupid sometimes! Own the mistake, apologise, and stop deflecting on an exasperated comment from your boss.

Well it WAS a stupid move. You knew you have had to wait for verbal approval. You didn't follow procedures. We all know and have been drilled on scammers. That is scamming 101 there. That's the basic one. I'm glad you managed to recover the money though.