A surge in email scams involves fraudsters impersonating trusted individuals-like friends, colleagues, or supervisors-requesting recipients to purchase Apple gift cards for fabricated emergencies or events. These deceptive messages often create a sense of urgency, pressuring victims to act swiftly without verification. Once the gift card codes are shared, the scammers vanish, leaving the victim at a financial loss.

This tactic, known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), exploits the trust within professional and personal networks. Scammers may use email addresses that closely resemble legitimate ones or even hack into actual accounts to lend credibility to their requests. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) emphasizes that legitimate organizations will never solicit payments via gift cards.

To safeguard against such scams:

• Always verify unexpected requests through a separate communication channel.

• Be cautious of urgent solicitations for gift cards.

• Report suspicious emails to your IT department or relevant authorities.

Staying vigilant and verifying unusual requests can prevent falling victim to these increasingly common scams.