Assume an unusual gift-card request is fraudulent until you confirm it with the person by phone or face to face. Email and text display names are easy to imitate.
The familiar script
The sender is “in a meeting,” asks whether you are available, then requests gift cards for clients or employees. They may ask you to scratch the cards and send photos of the codes. Once sent, the money is usually unrecoverable.
A ten-second verification rule
Call the requester using the number already saved in your contacts. Do not use a number supplied in the message. Organizations should require a second person’s approval for gift cards, wire transfers, payroll changes, and new payment destinations.
If cards were purchased
Do not send the codes. Contact the retailer and card issuer immediately. If codes were already shared, preserve the messages and report the loss to management, law enforcement, and the relevant gift-card company.
This page provides general security guidance, not a guarantee that any individual message is safe. When money, passwords, remote access, or sensitive records are involved, verify through a separate trusted channel.