Scams targeting employees continue to rise—and they’re becoming increasingly sophisticated. In many cases, scammers pose as senior leadership and create a false sense of urgency, pressuring employees to act quickly and without verification.
These scams often involve requests to deposit money, purchase gift cards, or share financial or banking information. While they may sound obvious after the fact, they can be very convincing in the moment. Employees at all levels, including managers, can be targeted.
Proactive education is one of the most effective ways employers can reduce risk.
How These Scams Typically Work
Scammers commonly:
- Use the name of a real executive or senior leader
- Create urgency (“This must be done immediately”)
- Demand secrecy (“Don’t tell anyone else”)
- Pressure employees to bypass normal procedures
- Threaten corrective action or termination if questioned
In the moment, employees may act out of fear of being insubordinate, resulting in financial loss to themselves or the organization.
Common Red Flags Employees Should Watch For
Employees should stop and verify before taking action if they encounter any of the following:
- Urgent or time‑sensitive demands
- Requests for secrecy
- Pressure from someone claiming to be senior leadership
- Threats of corrective action for asking questions
- Requests for gift cards, cash deposits, or card numbers
- Instructions that bypass normal company procedures
When in doubt: Stop. Verify. Report.
What Employers Should Clearly Communicate
Employees should be reminded what the company will never do, such as:
- Ask them to purchase gift cards for business purposes
- Request cash deposits at ATMs
- Ask for payment or financial action by phone, text, or email
- Change banking or deposit instructions without advance notice and formal communication
- Deliver punishment to employees for verifying or questioning a suspicious request
This reassurance is critical—many scams succeed because employees fear they will get in trouble for questioning a request.
What Employees Should Do If They’re Targeted
Employers can instruct employees to take the following steps if they receive a suspicious request:
- Stop – Do not act immediately
- Do not reply to the caller, email, or text
- Contact their manager in person or on a known phone number
- Report the incident to the company’s IT contact
Taking time to verify is always the correct action—even when a request appears urgent.
Training & Prevention
Ongoing education is one of the best defenses against fraud. Short, practical training on topics such as data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity fundamentals can help employees recognize scams when judgment is most impaired. FrankCrum’s Learning Management System (LMS), TrainingHub, offers short courses which can help employees. Even a few minutes of training can prevent costly mistakes. I Would Like to Learn More About LMS
Additional Protection
You can also learn more about FrankCrum’s Cybersecurity Insurance here:
A Final Reminder for Employers
Creating a culture where employees feel safe questioning unusual requests is essential. Employees should know they will not be penalized for refusing or escalating a request that feels suspicious or falls outside normal procedures.
Fraud prevention is a shared responsibility—and informed employees are a strong line of defense.