| Authority | Request leans on a title (CEO, CFO, IT, regulator) instead of the process. | Verify via a number you already hold; authority never replaces approval. |
| Urgency | Deadline in minutes or hours; "before close of business". | Mandatory cooling-off for payments and access changes. |
| Secrecy / embargo | "Keep this between us", "under NDA", "don't loop in finance". | Any secrecy request is an automatic escalation trigger. |
| Isolation | Moves you off normal channels: personal WhatsApp, new phone number. | Business decisions only on logged corporate channels. |
| Process bypass | Asks to skip callback, dual approval or ticketing "just this once". | Controls cannot be waived by the requester. |
| Fear of loss | Account suspension, lost deal, legal penalty. | Check status directly in the real portal, never via the link. |
| Familiarity | Reuses a real thread, vendor name, or cloned voice. | Familiar sender + changed bank details = verify out of band. |