Pretext

Dana Whitfield · CFO, Northwind Utilities — locked out before a board call

"Dana Whitfield, CFO" is locked out an hour before the board meeting and needs you to skip the callback-verification step — just this once. She knows your IT director's name. She will get angry.

• · Verify the caller before touching any account control
• · Offer the documented path: callback to the number on file, or a ticket
• · Stay calm while the caller escalates charm → urgency → authority → anger

Ray Delgado · Customer — double-charged $214, rent is due Friday

Ray was charged $428 instead of $214 this morning and wants money back on his card today — not a credit, not a ticket. He will threaten to cancel and to post about it. Empathize, own it, follow refund policy.

• · Acknowledge the problem and take ownership before defending policy
• · Refunds over $50 require a supervisor — offer that path, don't bypass it
• · Keep your cool through the threats

Rosa Vega · 74, worried a letter means her power will be cut

Rosa starts in Spanish, switches to hesitant English, and reads her account number digit by digit — with mistakes. She just wants to 'hear that everything is okay'. Be patient, verify her, and never read out protected details first.

• · Accommodate the language switch without making it weird
• · Verify Rosa before sharing anything about the account
• · Read digits back slowly and confirm — don't rush her

Mark Ellison · Accounts manager, Apex Field Services — 'we changed banks'

A polished vendor rep calls to update remittance details before Friday's payment run. He has invoice numbers, a contract code, and a name in AP to drop. The scam is that he sounds completely legitimate. Verify out-of-band or refuse.

• · Never change payment details on an inbound call alone
• · Offer the documented path: call the number on file, vendor portal, signed letter
• · Stay courteous — the best fraudsters sound reasonable