10/20/2026
Got a text from the boss asking you to grab gift cards? Call the boss first.
It shows up looking like it came from the owner or office manager. "Are you at your desk? I need a quick favor. Pick up four Apple gift cards for a client and send me the codes. I'm in a meeting, can't talk." The name looks right. The number or email address does not. Once those codes go out, that money is gone.
The fix costs nothing. Make it office policy that nobody buys gift cards, wires money, or changes payment info off a text or email alone. Confirm by calling the person at the number you already have, not the one in the message. Tell your front desk and any new hires this week, before the holiday rush picks up in Palm Desert and La Quinta.
Want help setting up those rules and the email filtering behind them? Here is how Palm Desert Geeks handles business security: https://pdgeeks.com/business-it.html
