A manual review override is a workflow path that lets a human approve, reject, or forward a case even when automated controls would block it. In fraud-sensitive systems, that can be useful: automation misses edge cases, so staff need authority to correct false positives and keep legitimate customers moving. But the same exception path can become a target if it is too broad, poorly logged, or easy to pressure.
In cyber and fraud operations, attackers look for ways to reach an override by social engineering, stolen credentials, insider abuse, or simply by exploiting weak review rules. If a reviewer can bypass identity checks, document validation, or risk scoring without strong justification, fraudulent applications may slip through as valid. Defenders reduce this risk with least-privilege access, dual approval for exceptions, audit trails, case notes, and monitoring for unusual override rates or repeated approvals from the same users. In short, the override is a safety valve that must be tightly controlled.