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us Work & employment crises fake boss scam • ceo fraud email • urgent gift card request • asked to buy gift cards • work payment scam • wire transfer request • zelle payment request work • invoice scam at work • manager texting scam • whatsapp boss message • business email compromise • bec scam • change vendor bank details • send gift card codes • urgent confidential request • new employee scam • payroll diversion scam • suspicious work email • payment authorization scam

What to do if…
you receive an urgent message asking you to buy gift cards or make a payment for work

Short answer

Do not pay or buy gift cards. Verify the request using a known, separate contact method, then report it to your employer and (if money moved) file reports to federal reporting sites.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t buy gift cards or send gift card codes/photos to anyone who asked.
  • Don’t send a wire, ACH, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, crypto, or “test payment” based only on a message.
  • Don’t click payment links or open unexpected “invoice” attachments from the message.
  • Don’t keep it secret because the message says it’s “confidential” or “don’t tell accounting”.
  • Don’t continue the conversation in the same thread to “confirm” — use a different channel you control.
  • Don’t delete the message yet (your IT/security team may need it).

What to do now

  1. Stop the transaction immediately. If you’re at a store checkout, stop and step aside. If you’re logged into banking, close it and do nothing further.
  2. Verify the request via a trusted channel (not the message).
    • Call your manager/colleague using a number you already have (or from the company directory), or speak in person.
    • If you can’t reach them quickly, treat it as unverified and do not proceed.
  3. Report it inside your workplace right away.
    • Send the message (or a screenshot for SMS/Teams/WhatsApp) to your IT/security team or helpdesk.
    • Notify your finance/accounts payable lead so they can watch for related attempts (vendor bank-change requests, invoice fraud, payroll diversion).
  4. If money was sent or accounts were used, act fast.
    • Call your bank/card issuer immediately and ask them to try to stop, reverse, or recall the payment.
    • Ask your bank to contact the financial institution that received the transfer (this can matter for recovery when time is short).
    • If gift cards are involved: contact the gift card company/issuer right away, tell them it was used in a scam, and ask for your money back. Keep the gift card and store receipt.
  5. File reports (USA).
    • Report the scam to the FTC using ReportFraud (online).
    • If this involved work payment instructions, impersonation of leadership, vendor changes, or compromised work email, file a complaint with the FBI’s IC3 (online).
  6. Preserve the evidence. Save the email/text, sender details, requested amounts, payment instructions, receipts, and the times you acted. This helps your employer, your bank, and your reports.
  7. If you shared login or payment credentials, contain it quickly. Tell your IT/security team what was shared (even if you’re unsure), and follow their steps for password resets and account security.

What can wait

  • You don’t need to decide right now whether to confront anyone, “prove” it was a scam, or handle workplace policy issues.
  • You don’t need to do a deep technical investigation yourself — your IT/security team can take it from here.
  • You don’t need perfect wording in reports; basic facts are enough to start.

Important reassurance

These scams are designed to feel like normal work urgency and authority. Being targeted (or even briefly fooled) is common — the safest move is slowing down, verifying outside the message, and escalating quickly to finance/IT.

Scope note

These are first steps to prevent immediate loss and limit workplace exposure. Longer-term steps (incident review, policy changes, training, and security improvements) can happen once the immediate risk is contained.

Important note

This guide is general information, not legal, financial, or professional advice. Options and outcomes vary by bank/payment method, gift card issuer, employer policies, and timing.

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