While not new, gift card scams are on the rise and can result in a victim losing hundreds or thousands of dollars. In a typical scam, an employee receives an email or a text message that pretends to be from their co-worker, boss, or another senior figure or person of authority. It asks them to buy gift cards and send them photos of the backs, for reasons that will supposedly be explained later. The scammer may ask you to communicate with them via text message or over the phone.

How to Spot a Gift Card Scam

• Inspect the sender's email address to confirm it's actually coming from that person. Scammers will often send the email from a random email account and change the Display Name of the email address to either your boss, supervisor, or director. If the message came in the form of an unfamiliar text message, reach out to the supposed sender through a trusted channel such as an email address found in the organization directory.