"Hey, it's Marisol. This is my personal number. Are you free? I need a quick favor, but I'm in a meeting and can't talk."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Marisol (made up) owns Saltgrass Bakehouse (a made-up bakery). On Monday she posted a photo on the shop's Instagram: her new shift lead, Theo (also made up), holding a tray of croissants. Caption: "Welcome to the team, Theo!"
Theo got the text Wednesday at 7:40 a.m., before his first full shift. Unknown number. Her name. Her tone, more or less.
The favor: a client appreciation thing, a surprise, she'd explain later. Could he grab five $300 gift cards on the way in, scratch off the backs, and text her photos? She'd pay him back out of the register by the end of the day.
Theo is 23. He's had the job for 48 hours. He does not want his first story at this bakery to be "the new guy who said no to the owner."
So he went. The cashier at the drugstore asked if he was sure. He said it was for work.
He texted the photos at 8:12. At 8:14 "Marisol" asked for five more.
At 8:20 the real Marisol walked in the back door, said good morning, and asked why he looked like that.
The croissant photo did the work. Nobody hacked anything. The scammer just read the caption.
This isn't a one-off. The FTC says scammers watch hiring updates on social media and go after new employees fast, sometimes before their first day, because a new hire is eager to please and less likely to question the "boss" (FTC). On Oct. 14, 2026, the Ohio Attorney General warned that scammers posing as managers, HR, co-workers and recruiters are on the rise, and that real employers won't ask for gift cards, codes or credentials over text (Ohio AG).
Red flags
- A text or email from the "boss" on a new number or personal address, plus "I'm in a meeting, can't talk." The no-calls part is the point (FTC).
- An "urgent favor" with a vague reason: a client gift, a staff surprise, a company event (FTC).
- Specific instructions on which gift card to buy and where, and a request for photos of the card number and PIN. Only scammers ask for the PIN (FTC).
- A promise to pay you back later today (FTC).
- A request for your bank info, Social Security number or a login code by text. Ohio's AG says real employers won't do that outside formal channels (Ohio AG).
What to do
If you work there: don't buy anything and don't reply to that number. Call your boss on the number you already have, or walk over and ask (FTC).
Already sent the codes? Call the gift card company right away, tell them the cards were used in a scam, and ask for your money back. Keep the cards and receipts (FTC).
If you own the business: tell every new hire, on day one, how you'll actually reach them and that you will never ask for gift cards. Put it in the welcome text. The FTC suggests telling staff your real contact info so they know when a message isn't you (FTC).
Report it at ReportFraud.FTC.gov. Impersonating a business may violate the FTC's Impersonation Rule. If someone used your name or identity, also go to IdentityTheft.gov (FTC).
In Ohio, you can also report it to the Attorney General at OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515 (Ohio AG). In other states, find your attorney general's consumer office.
Marisol still posts new-hire photos. Now the caption ends: "Theo, I will never text you asking for gift cards."