Got a request from your boss? Make sure it's really him.
A woman is now warning others about a sophisticated scam that cost her $300, just days into her new job.
Irena Derak was thrilled to recently land a remote work position, since they are much harder to find nowadays. But a couple of days into the job, she received what appeared to be a text from her new supervisor.
"I got a text message from a number I didn't know, but I also don't have my new boss's number in my cell," Derak said.
The message showed up with the specific name of her new supervisor and contained specific instructions to help him with a giveaway he was doing.
Watch a victim show how easy it is to fall for a boss text scam:
"He told me to grab three Google cards for $100 each, take them out of the envelope, scratch them carefully and send the images revealing the codes," she said.
It seemed strange, but she was new to the job. So Derak said she went to a nearby Staples, paid $300 for the gift cards, and sent the photos.
When she got back to her desk, she followed up with her boss in a group chat and learned she had been duped.
"Are you asking me for gift cards? And he said no. And I was like I am being scammed!" Derak said.
Scam knows where you work, who your boss is
It's called the "boss text scam," and it's becoming increasingly sophisticated, because it is not some random text scam like those claiming you owe a highway toll.
What concerned Derak most was how much the scammers knew about her workplace.
"I'm puzzled. How did they know his first and last name? How did they know he was in a meeting? How did they know I was his employee?" Derak said.
The Better Business Bureau says the scammers know where you work, often finding your information on Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites. Then they can easily impersonate your boss.
Derak, who is out $300, just wants employees everywhere to be aware of this growing threat.
We reached out to Derak's credit card company, but were told that since she initiated the gift card purchase herself, and it was not a fraudulent purchase, they would be unable to refund her money.
The BBB recommends never replying to any text message or email from your employer asking you to do something unusual until you verify the request through official channels.
Make sure it is really your boss, so you don't waste your money.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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