Be on the lookout for scammers texting employees and asking them to take some type of action by fraudulently claiming to be a member of the company’s senior leadership team.
In this new wave of phishing attacks, scammers posing as “executives” are sending urgently worded text messages to both work and personal phones asking the employee to take action, which can include calling a phone number or purchasing gift cards on the company’s behalf.
As a practice, the company’s senior leadership team does not communicate with employees through text messages. If you receive a text message claiming to be from an executive or another unknown person at the company, do not reply. Instead, send the details, including the sender’s phone number and message, in an email to MIS Security.
Here are some general guidelines to follow:
- Use Microsoft Teams and company email for official business communications.
- Be wary of texts received on your phone. If you have reason to believe the sender might be legitimate, verify their phone number through the corporate address book.
In fact, employees should be extra careful with all their text interactions, as scammers may pose as work colleagues, other businesses, friends and family. Staying alert will help protect yourself and the company from scammers.