---
title: "Business Executives are Targeted with Whaling Scams - Get a Free Network Security Consultation in South Florida"
description: "Whaling scams are the larger, more expensive version of email phishing attacks that have a very specific target: Company Executives."
url: "https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/business-executives-are-targeted-with-whaling-scams"
date: "2026-06-20T02:56:13+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---
## Get a Free Network Security Consultation in South Florida
Get a free network security consultation today from L7 Solutions. We are your partner for managed services & IT support in South Florida and beyond. Call today.
[ Categories ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/categories "Categories")
[ Tags ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/tags "Tags")
[ Categories: All Categories ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0); "Categories")
Search...Suggested keywords
[ x ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0);)
# Business Executives are Targeted with Whaling Scams
[IT Blog](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/categories/it-blog)
[LSeven Solutions Admin](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin)
Sunday, 17 February 2013
[ 0 Comments ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/business-executives-are-targeted-with-whaling-scams#comments)
Even if you are using the best antivirus software available, sensitive company data can still be compromised by users falling victim to phishing scams. Phishing is a tactic where scammers trick users into giving out their personal information, usually through deceptive spam e-mails. Looking to fry bigger fish, scammers are trying their luck at whaling.
Whaling is a scam that specifically targets high level business executives. Why use a phishing net to catch a few small fish when you can use a harpoon and catch a large whale? Business executives are valuable targets because they are accountable for the most sensitive of company information. A whaling scam is designed to trick an executive into filling out forms that can lead to identity theft. Whaling can also be used to gain control of an executive's PC to steal passwords and confidential company information.
What makes whaling so effective is that it is less obvious than a generic spam message. With whaling, a scammer will craft a personalized message to the executive using references and names that will make the con believable (details like names of family members, schools attended, hobbies, etc.). In order to get ahold of a target's personal information, a scammer will mine many different resources on the internet and even rummage through physical garbage. It is also believed that scammers work together and buy executive's online profiles from each other. Scammers put a lot of work into a single message, all in an attempt to make the message as believable as possible.
While e-mail is often used in whaling, it is not the only harpoon in the tackle box. Scammers also like to use phone calls where they pretend to represent the company from a different office, or a vendor that needs more information regarding a contract. Scammers who use phone calls for whaling spend lots of time doing their homework to learn personal information and company culture; they may even have a script prepared. Many scammers view this as a challenging game. There are even legal competitions where phone scammers will get together, pick a company, and see who is the fastest at extracting sensitive corporate information from executives.
Falling for a scam like phishing and whaling typically finds its way around antivirus software and firewalls because victims are tricked into granting permission to download the malicious code onto their network. Educating yourself and your employees about these potential threats and what to look for is your best defense. A strong network security solution still plays a vital role in protecting your company's network from security threats like phishing and whaling, especially if downloading a known malware is part of the scam.
COMPANYNAME wants to help protect you from all scams and viruses. We can outfit your business with a strong network security solution like a Unified Threat Management tool, and help educate you and your employees on what to look for in a scam. Don't get harpooned, call COMPANYNAME at PHONENUMBER.
[ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0);)
Tags:
[Security](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/tags/security) [Privacy](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/tags/privacy) [Scam](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/tags/scam)
[ Streamline Printing with a Print Server Solution ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/streamline-printing-with-a-print-server-solution)
[ Microsoft’s Surface Pro - a Full PC Experience in ... ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/microsoft-s-surface-pro-a-full-pc-experience-in-a-tablet)
About the author
[  ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin)
[LSeven Solutions Admin](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin)
[ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0); "Subscribe to updates from author") [ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/javascript:void(0);) [ ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin)
Welcome to LSeven's Blog! Here we will share useful tips and tricks for Computers and Information on Our IT Services!
Author's recent posts
[More posts from author](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin)
[ Tuesday, 30 June 2026 Stop Managing Metal, Start Managing People: A Guide to Hybrid IT ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/stop-managing-metal-start-managing-people-a-guide-to-hybrid-it)
[ Saturday, 27 June 2026 Free AI is Not Free: Why Public Tools Are a Security Risk ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/free-ai-is-not-free-why-public-tools-are-a-security-risk)
[ Thursday, 25 June 2026 Phishing is Getting Sophisticated: The New Threats Businesses Face ](https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/phishing-is-getting-sophisticated-the-new-threats-businesses-face)
Comments
No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
**** Already Registered? [Login Here](https://www.l7solutions.com/component/users/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubDdzb2x1dGlvbnMuY29tL2Jsb2cvYnVzaW5lc3MtZXhlY3V0aXZlcy1hcmUtdGFyZ2V0ZWQtd2l0aC13aGFsaW5nLXNjYW1z&Itemid=101)
Saturday, 20 June 2026
Subscribe to the blog (Please fill in your email address to subscribe to updates from this post.)
**Captcha Image**
## Schema
```json
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Home",
"item": "https://www.l7solutions.com"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Blog",
"item": "https://www.l7solutions.com/blog"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "LSeven Solutions Admin",
"item": "https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/blogger/l7-admin"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 4,
"name": "Business Executives are Targeted with Whaling Scams",
"item": "https://www.l7solutions.com/blog/business-executives-are-targeted-with-whaling-scams"
}
]
}
```