If you run a small business in Monterey County or anywhere on the Central Coast, someone on your team may soon get a text that appears to come from you. It says you are in a meeting, you cannot talk, and you need a favor.
This guide explains how the fake boss text scam works, why it fools careful people, and the simple rules that stop it before any money moves.
1. How the fake boss text works
The scam is low tech and fast. Scammers find your name and your staff list online, then text an employee from a number that is not yours. The message is short and friendly.
- The opener. "Hi, are you at your desk?" or "I need a quick favor."
- The excuse. The sender is in a meeting, traveling, or cannot take a call.
- The ask. Buy gift cards, scratch off the codes, and send photos of the back.
- The pressure. It is urgent, it is a surprise for a client, and you will pay them back.
Gift card codes work like cash and are almost impossible to trace once spent. That is why scammers like them. The same pattern shows up with wire transfers and payroll changes, which we cover in our guides to business email compromise and voice clone wire fraud.
2. Why it fools careful people
Employees are not careless. The scam is built around how workplaces behave.
- Authority. Most people want to help the person who signs their paycheck.
- Real details. The text uses the owner's real name and the employee's first name, pulled from public pages.
- No filter. Text messages skip the email security tools that catch most phishing. See our guide to smishing for why texts are hard to filter.
- Fear of saying no. A new hire is the most likely to comply, and the least likely to ask.
Spelling mistakes are no longer a reliable clue either, since scammers now use AI to polish their messages. Our post on AI-written phishing explains the shift.
3. Five controls that stop it
You do not need new software to beat this scam. You need a clear rule and a culture where checking is normal.
- Make the rule official. Put it in writing: no purchase, payment, or code is sent based on a text or a chat message. Verify by calling a known number.
- Pick a safe channel. Decide where real requests come from, such as a company phone line or a team chat, and say that nothing else counts.
- Reduce what scammers can see. Review what your website, social profiles, and email signatures reveal about who works for you and who they report to.
- Practice it. Run a short drill using phishing simulations so the first real text is not the first time anyone has seen one. Voice calls follow the same pattern, see vishing.
- Have a response plan. If someone already sent a code, speed matters. Follow the steps in what to do after a click, contact the card issuer, and tell your IT provider.
The takeaway
The fake boss text succeeds on trust, not technology. A one-line rule, a known phone number, and a team that feels safe asking questions will stop it. For help building these habits, see our cybersecurity and managed IT services, or check current pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fake boss text scam?
A scammer texts an employee while pretending to be the owner or a manager. They say they are busy or in a meeting and ask for a quick favor, usually buying gift cards and sending the codes. The goal is fast money, not malware.
How do scammers get my employees' phone numbers?
Mostly from public sources: your website, social media profiles, LinkedIn, and old data breaches. They then match a staff member's name to the owner's name from your About page.
What should an employee do if they get a text from the boss asking for gift cards?
Do not reply and do not buy anything. Call the boss on a number you already have, or ask in person. Then report the text to your IT provider so others can be warned.
Can we get the money back if someone already sent gift card codes?
Sometimes, but speed matters. Contact the card issuer right away with the card numbers and receipts, report it to your bank if a card was used, and file a report at ic3.gov. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Does this scam only target big companies?
No. Small offices are targeted often because the owner is easy to find online and staff are used to quick requests from the person in charge.
Want your team ready before the next text arrives?
Call Ghosxt at (831) 204-0501. We help businesses across Monterey County and surrounding areas train staff and lock down email, phones, and company data, and you talk directly to the owner. See current pricing or our cybersecurity service.
Book your free assessmentPrefer to talk first? Email sales@ghosxt.com or call (831) 204-0501.