Business Fraud
"Are You Available?" CEO/Boss Scam
A scammer impersonates a high-level executive at your company and asks you to urgently purchase gift cards for a client or employee reward.
How It Works
- You receive a text or email from a number/address you don't recognize, but the name is that of your CEO, president, or boss.
- The initial message is simple, like "Are you available?" or "I need you to handle something for me urgently."
- If you respond, the "boss" will explain they are in a meeting and can't talk, but need you to buy several hundred dollars worth of gift cards (e.g., Apple, Google Play, Steam) for a client or as a surprise for the team.
- They instruct you to scratch off the backs and text them photos of the PINs. The money is then instantly stolen.
Red Flags
- A request from an executive that comes from their personal email or an unknown phone number.
- A sense of extreme urgency combined with a request to keep it secret ("I'm about to present, so just handle this and don't tell anyone").
- Any request to purchase gift cards on behalf of the company. This is a highly unusual business practice.
- The "boss" is conveniently unable to speak on the phone.
Prevention Tips
- Always be suspicious of urgent requests from executives that bypass normal channels.
- Verify the request through a different communication method. Call or walk over to the executive's office to confirm.
- Never purchase gift cards as a form of payment for business purposes based on an email or text request.
- Establish clear company policies for purchasing and expenses.
Example Scenario
"You get a text: "Hi, it's [Your CEO's Name]. I'm in a last-minute meeting and need to get a gift for a client. Can you please go buy 4x $100 Apple gift cards and text me the codes on the back? I'll reimburse you this afternoon.""