Manage
Picture this: you’re in the middle of your workday when a text from your CEO pops up on your phone. It’s urgent, they need you to buy some gift cards for a client, and they promise to reimburse you by end of day. Would you pause, or would you rush to help the boss? At eMDTec, we help small and mid-sized businesses recognize scams exactly like this before they cost thousands.
This gift card scam is more common, and more convincing, than most people think. Without proper training, 32.4% of employees are prone to fall for a phishing scam like it. Here’s how to tell a real message from a costly fake.
Why a Fake Text From Your CEO Works So Well
A scam text from your CEO succeeds because it weaponizes trust and urgency. Hackers use social engineering to make you act before you think. Employees fall for it because they’re afraid of disappointing a superior, eager to save the day, or hoping to make a good impression. The message is deliberately crafted to pressure you into acting without checking.
The scam arrives by text or email. The employee buys the gift cards, sends over the codes, and the money vanishes. The employee is left out of pocket, and the company is embarrassed.
A Real Example: Over $6,500 Lost to a Fake CEO Email
These scams cause real financial pain. A woman in Palos Hills, Illinois received an email that appeared to be from her boss, the company CEO, who was known to give out gift cards as rewards. The email said he was in meetings and unreachable, then asked, “Can you help me purchase some gift cards today?”
She bought cards from Target and Best Buy, and when a follow-up request came, she bought more, over $6,500 in total. The scammer drained every card. By the time she realized the boss never sent the message, the money was gone. It’s a sobering reminder that a convincing text from your CEO can fool even careful employees.
Tips for Avoiding a Scam Text From Your CEO
Always Double-Check Unusual Requests
No matter what a message says about the sender being unreachable, verify it another way. Walk over to their office, call their known number, or message them on an official channel. A genuine boss won’t mind a quick confirmation, and a scammer can’t pass that test.
Don’t React Emotionally
Scammers count on urgency to short-circuit your judgment. Take a breath. Just a few minutes of calm thought is often enough to spot the red flags in a suspicious text from your CEO.
Get a Second Opinion
When something feels off, ask a colleague or, better yet, your IT service provider to review the message. A fresh set of eyes can catch details you might miss under pressure.
Need Help With Employee Phishing Awareness Training?
Phishing scams keep getting more sophisticated, and a single fake text from your CEO can undo a lot of hard work. eMDTec provides up-to-date phishing awareness training and email security so your team can confidently spot and stop these attacks.
The FTC’s small-business phishing guidance is another trusted resource worth sharing with your staff.
Red Flags That Signal a Fake Text From Your CEO
Learning to spot the warning signs is your best defense. A scam text from your CEO almost always includes a sense of urgency, an unusual request involving money or gift cards, and a reason the sender “can’t” be reached by normal means. The phone number or email address is often slightly off from the real one, too.
Trust the Process, Not the Pressure
Legitimate financial requests follow your company’s normal procedures. If a message asks you to bypass those procedures, buy gift cards, wire money, or keep it secret, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise. Having a clear, well-known process for approving purchases removes the ambiguity attackers exploit.
Report Every Attempt
Even when an employee spots a scam and doesn’t fall for it, they should report it. Reporting helps your IT team warn the rest of the staff, block the sender, and watch for a wider campaign. A quick report can stop a coworker from becoming the next victim.
Want to protect your team from CEO impersonation scams? eMDTec can help. Schedule a free consultation today, or call us at 973-295-5570.