Collaboration-Platform Impersonation

    Chat Feels Safe. Verify Anyway.

    Suspicious requests through Teams, Slack, WhatsApp and shared documents need the same checks as email.

    Business & Leadership SecurityEveryday usersLeadershipFinanceIT & help desk

    Illustrative scenario

    How It Looks in Real Life

    A message on WhatsApp from an unknown number with your manager’s profile photo asks you to buy gift cards for a client and send the codes.

    Understand it

    How the Attack Works

    Chat tools feel informal and internal, so people verify less. Attackers use external accounts, new numbers and shared document links to reach staff directly.

    Red flags

    Warning Signs

    • Unknown numbers or external accounts using a colleague’s name or photo.
    • Requests for gift cards, codes, payments or files.
    • Shared documents that ask you to sign in again to view.

    Safer habits

    What to Do Instead

    • 1Check external labels and verify through the person’s known contact.
    • 2Never buy gift cards or send codes based on a chat request.
    • 3Report impersonation accounts to IT and the platform.

    Response playbook

    Already Interacted?

    For work accounts and devices, report promptly through your organisation’s IT or security process first. Never share passwords, codes or tokens in a report.

    If you: opened a message or clicked a link
    1. 1Close the page without entering anything further.
    2. 2Report the message through your usual IT or security reporting channel.
    3. 3Keep the original message; do not forward it to colleagues as a warning.
    If you: entered credentials or shared a code
    1. 1Report it to IT or security immediately for a work account; speed matters more than embarrassment.
    2. 2Change the password from a trusted device by typing the real address yourself.
    3. 3Sign out of all sessions from the account security settings. A password change alone may not end active sessions.
    4. 4Review recovery email, phone number and forwarding rules for unexpected changes.
    If you: sent a payment or changed bank details
    1. 1Contact your bank immediately and ask for a recall of the transfer.
    2. 2Inform finance leadership and IT or security the same day.
    3. 3Keep all emails, invoices and call records as evidence.

    Knowledge Check

    What Would You Do?

    “Hi, it’s your manager. New number. Can you do a quick favour?” What is safest?

    Fictional example for learning. Not a test score or certification.

    Sources

    Content reviewed by WazuGuardix on 5 October 2026. Summaries are in our own words.

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