Is That Really a Text from Your CEO… or Is It a Scam?  

Imagine going about your day when suddenly you receive a text from the CEO. The head of the company is asking for your help. They’re out doing customer visits, and someone else dropped the ball in providing gift cards. The CEO needs you to buy six £200 gift cards and text the information immediately.

The message sender promises to reimburse you before the end of the day. Oh, and by the way, you won’t be able to reach them by phone for the next two hours because they’ll be in meetings. One last thing, this is a high priority. They need those gift cards urgently.

Would this kind of request make you pause and wonder? Or would you quickly pull out your credit card to do as the message asked?

A surprising number of employees fall for this gift card scam, and many variations exist.

This scam can come by text message or via email. What happens is that the unsuspecting employee buys the gift cards. They then send the numbers back. They find out later that the company CEO wasn’t the one who contacted them. It was a phishing scammer.

Without proper training, 32.4% of employees are prone to fall for phishing scams.

Why Do Employees Fall for Phishing Scams?

Though the circumstances may be odd, many employees fall for this gift card scam. Hackers use social engineering tactics. They manipulate emotions to get the employee to follow through on the request.

Some of these social engineering tactics illicit the following:

• The employee is afraid of not doing as asked by a superior
• The employee jumps at the chance to save the day
• The employee doesn’t want to let their company down
• The employee may feel they can advance in their career by helping

The scam’s message is also crafted to get the employee to act without thinking or checking. It includes a sense of urgency. The CEO needs the gift card details right away. Also, the message notes that the CEO will be out of touch for the next few hours, which decreases the chance the employee will try to contact the real CEO to check the validity of the text.

Tips for Avoiding Costly Phishing Scams

Always Double Check Unusual Requests

Despite what a message might say about being unreachable, check in person or by phone. If you receive any unusual requests or money-related requests, verify them. Contact the person through other means to make sure it’s legitimate.

Don’t React Emotionally

Scammers often try to get victims to act before they have time to think. Just a few minutes of sitting back and looking at a message objectively is often all that’s needed to realise it’s a scam. Don’t react emotionally; ask if this seems real or out of the ordinary.

Get a Second Opinion

Ask a colleague, or better yet, your company’s IT service provider, to look at the message. Getting a second opinion keeps you from reacting right away. It can save you from making a costly judgment error. 

Need Help with Employee Phishing Awareness Training?

Phishing keeps getting more sophisticated all the time. Make sure your employee awareness training is up to date. Call today to bolster your team’s defences.

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