Workplace Hierarchies Creating a New Fraud Risk for Australian Businesses
Media Release April 23rd, 2026
New research from Eftsure reveals employees feel unable to challenge suspicious payment requests from senior leaders, exposing a critical gap in many organisations’ fraud defences.
Sydney, Australia – Australian organisations may be unknowingly leaving themselves exposed to payment fraud, with new research revealing that workplace hierarchy is preventing employees from questioning suspicious payment requests.
A recent survey conducted by Eftsure, a leading payment fraud prevention platform, found that many employees feel unable to challenge financial requests from senior leaders, creating a hidden vulnerability within approval processes.
This reluctance to speak up can create ideal conditions for fraud, particularly as cybercriminals increasingly exploit internal communication structures through tactics, such as impersonating executives or manipulating approval chains.
According to the survey:
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Only 25 per cent of employees say they feel comfortable questioning a payment request from a senior executive
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91 per cent believe senior leadership does not fully understand how payment fraud actually occurs
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73 per cent of employees say they lack awareness of the tools available to help prevent payment scams
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19 per cent say organisational hierarchy specifically makes it difficult to challenge suspicious requests
The growing disconnect between leadership awareness and frontline experience is also highlighted by the data, suggesting that many organisations may underestimate the risks within their own financial processes. Many Australians seem aware that their controls and defences may not be keeping pace with evolving fraud threats, but aren’t sure of the steps or solutions necessary for addressing the issue.
“As cybercriminals refine their tactics, AI-powered threats are increasingly designed to exploit human behaviour and organisational structures – not just technical vulnerabilities. Payment requests that appear to come from trusted leaders can create pressure to act quickly, making employees less likely to question instructions or verify details.”
Arjun Adhia, Chief Financial Officer at Eftsure, said organisations need to recognise that fraud risks often originate from vulnerabilities in their internal processes. External breaches or infiltration elsewhere in the business ecosystem can put them at risk, but ultimately it’s a target organisation’s controls and procedures that will act as a final guardrail against a financial loss.
“Cybercriminals understand workplace dynamics incredibly well. They know if payment requests come through from your manager or a senior executive, employees are far more likely to feel the pressure to act quickly without asking any questions,” Adhia said.
“Hierarchy can unintentionally create blind spots in payment approval processes. When employees don’t feel comfortable challenging requests from senior leaders, it creates the exact environment fraudsters are looking to exploit.”
With payment fraud continuing to rise across Australian businesses, the findings suggest organisations may need to rethink how payment approvals, verification processes and internal communication structures operate to reduce the risk of fraud slipping through unnoticed.
About Eftsure
Eftsure is the global market leader in payment fraud prevention. Specifically designed for businesses, our end-to-end solution safeguarded more than $288b in B2B payments last year. Powered by cross-checking, we use a variety of verification methods to give businesses greater control over onboarding suppliers and making payments, and we back each verified payment with a guarantee.
In short, we ensure our customers don’t pay the wrong people.
