The bad guys are taking advantage of innocent employees by posing as one of your organization�s executives or even your CEO. Using methods of urgency and authority, they intimidate you into buying gift cards for �business reasons�. This trick has been around for a while, but recently these scammers are taking it one step further and requesting your personal cell number to communicate with you while you do what they ask.

Here�s how it works: They send an �urgent� email that looks like it comes from an executive in your organization. They create a sense of urgency by using subject lines such as �QUICK RESPONSE�, and they intimidate you by saying: �Give me your personal cell number. I need you to complete a task for me�. Once the bad guy has your number they put even more pressure on you to complete the task before you have time to think!

Don�t give in and hand these criminals your personal number and your organization�s money! Stop and think before you respond:

• Do you recognize the email address? Even if the email appears to be legitimate, question it.
• Do you usually receive requests like this, or is this unusual? Call the executive or your supervisor to validate this request before responding or buying gift cards.