Your boss needs an urgent favor: gift cards or a secret transfer. Stop and check.
Very likely a scam: real managers don't ask for gift card numbers, and an urgent, secret transfer needs checking on a channel you already trust, even after a video call.
The check
Answer these honestly. A single "yes" to a warning sign is enough to stop.
- Are you being asked for gift card numbers or PINs?The FTC says only scammers ask for gift card numbers and PINs. Those numbers let them drain the cards without having them.
- Is the request urgent and meant to stay secret?Urgency and secrecy keep you from checking. In the Hong Kong deepfake case, the first message asked for a secret transaction.
- Is the money going to a new account, or one the request itself supplied?In the Singapore case, the money went to a corporate bank account the scammers supplied.
- Have you confirmed it with the person on a phone number or email you already had?The FTC's advice: check with your boss using contact details you know are real, not the ones in the message.
- Did a video call convince you?Don't let it. The FBI says criminals stage real-time video chats with fake executives. Confirm the request some other way before you pay.
If it's happening right now
Don't buy the cards or send the transfer yet. Contact the person directly on a number or email you already have, or walk over to them, and tell your finance or security team. If you've already paid, call the gift card company or your bank right away.
How this scam works
You get a text, email, chat or call that seems to come from your boss, a senior executive or an important official.
There's an 'urgent favor' or a confidential deal, and you're told to act fast and keep quiet.
You're asked to buy gift cards and send the numbers, or to wire money to an account you haven't paid before.
In bigger cases there is a video call where the 'executives' look and sound right, which removes your doubts.
What AI changes
The FBI warns that criminals use AI to generate video for real-time calls with supposed company executives. In Hong Kong in 2024, every other person on one multi-person video call turned out to be a deepfake.
What to do, step by step
- Pause the payment.No real manager will mind a five-minute check. Anyone who pushes back on checking is a warning sign.
- Verify on a separate channel.Call your boss on the number you already have, or check in person. Don't reply to the message or use any link or number it gave you.
- Tell your company's finance or IT security team.Other colleagues may be getting the same message.
- If you already sent gift card numbers, call the card company now.The FTC says to contact the gift card company using the number on the card, explain that a scammer tricked you, ask for a refund, and keep the card and receipt.
- If you already sent a wire or bank transfer, call your bank now.The FTC says to contact your bank or the wire company right away and ask them to reverse it. See the FTC's 'What To Do if You Were Scammed'.
- Report it.To the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
How big this is
Real cases
- Hong Kong. A finance worker at engineering firm Arup joined a video call where the UK-based CFO and other colleagues were all deepfakes, and sent HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million). Police said 'everyone [he saw] was fake.' Arup confirmed it was the victim in May 2024. (CNN) The case file → (South China Morning Post)
- Singapore. A businessman was contacted on WhatsApp by someone posing as the Cabinet Secretary, got a forged letter with the Prime Minister's signature, then joined a Zoom call with deepfaked officials. He wired at least S$4.9 million. (Malay Mail) The case file → (Malay Mail)
Where to report it
- Your company's finance or IT security team: straight away, so they can warn others
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov
- The FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Questions people ask
Why would a scammer ask for gift cards?
Because once you share the numbers and PIN, they can spend the money without the physical card. The FTC says only scammers ask for gift card numbers. Scammers may also call them 'Google certificates'.
It came from my boss's real name and photo. Is it still a scam?
It can be. Names and photos are easy to copy, and the FBI says AI is now used to fake executives on live video calls. Check with your boss on a number or email you already have.
Can a video call be faked?
Yes. In the Arup case in Hong Kong, everyone else on a multi-person video call was a deepfake. A video call is not proof of who you're talking to.
I already sent the gift card numbers. Can I get the money back?
Maybe, if you're fast. Call the gift card company on the number on the card, say you were scammed, ask for a refund and keep the card and receipt. Then report it to the FTC.
How can a company stop this happening?
Agree in advance that payment requests are always confirmed on a second channel, and that gift cards are never bought on a message alone. Make sure staff know no one will be blamed for checking.
Related
- AI voice clone scam call: what to do right now →
- Is this celebrity investment video a scam? →
- AI scam texts: how to spot them and what to do (2026) →
Sources
- FTC: No, that's not your boss asking you to buy gift cards (Jan 2026)
- FBI IC3: Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (PSA I-120324, Dec 3, 2024)
- CNN: Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake 'chief financial officer' (Feb 4, 2024)
- South China Morning Post: Arup confirmed as victim of HK$200 million deepfake scam (May 17, 2024)
- Malay Mail: Singapore man loses millions after Zoom call with deepfake PM (May 15, 2026)
- SecurityWeek: FBI cybercrime losses neared $21 billion in 2025
- FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed
Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.