Double Check

Is the text from my boss asking for gift cards a scam?

A typical version of this message
Hi, are you available? I'm heading into a meeting and can't talk, but I need a favor urgently. I need you to buy 4 Apple gift cards, $200 each, for a client appreciation surprise. Keep this between us for now. Scratch off the backs and text me photos of the codes as soon as you have them. — Sent from my iPhone
Why it is a gift card scam
Yes. The scammer found your workplace and your boss's name online — the number is not your boss's. Every element repeats across thousands of these: 'in a meeting' so you cannot call to verify, secrecy so you do not ask a colleague, urgency so you do not think, and gift card codes because they are untraceable cash the moment you text the photo. No legitimate business expense is ever paid with scratched-off gift card codes.
What to do
Do not buy anything. Contact your boss through a channel you already use — their known number, or in person — and you will find they never sent it. If cards were already bought and shared, contact the card issuer immediately with the receipts; acting within hours occasionally recovers something. Report the number, then delete.

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Checked by Double Check on August 31, 2026. This page documents a widely reported scam pattern; the example wording is representative, with links and personal details replaced. See more in the scam guide or recent answers.