Why would your boss want gift cards?

How it works

The message arrives by email or text, from a name you know: the owner, your manager, someone senior. It is short, friendly and a little urgent. They are busy, so they cannot call.

Then comes the favor. They need gift cards for clients or a staff reward, and want you to buy them, scratch off the codes and send photos. They promise to pay you back.

Gift cards are popular with scammers because the codes can be spent or resold within minutes and are almost impossible to trace or refund.

How to tell

• The sender address is wrong, often a personal email account with the right display name.
• They cannot talk, only message.
• They ask for secrecy, sometimes framed as a surprise.
• Gift cards are involved. No legitimate business request is paid in gift card codes.

What to do

Contact the person through another channel you already use, such as their usual phone number or in person. Then report the message to IT so others can be warned, because scammers usually send the same message to several people in the same business.