A new scams comes from someone pretending to be your boss who’s asking for a favor and wants you to send gift cards to pay for something, such as an upcoming office party.
Don’t take the bait. Find out if it’s really your boss. It could be a scammer trying to get your money.
If you get an unexpected email from your boss asking for this kind of help, watch out, advises Ari Lazarus, consumer education specialist, for the Federal Trade Commission. Lazarus offers these tips:
- Don’t pay for anything with a gift card. Gift cards are for gifts, not for payments. If anyone asks you to pay with a gift card, it’s a scam.
- Double-check with your supervisor. Call your boss using a known number – not something that was written in an email.
- Take a pause. If you can’t reach your manager, talk to a coworker or friend. Tell them the situation and see what they’d do.
If you’ve experienced this scam, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
