Good morning,

It has been brought to our attention that some individuals may have received a text message recently claiming to be from the President Kahn making a special request, in this case, a gift card purchase.  

Please be advised that this is a common phishing scam message that is not legitimate. Please note that there is no standard procedure for making these types of requests.  We do, however, realize that these types of messages can vary, and sometimes be quite persuasive.  If you receive a text or email message such as this, it is always a good practice to verify the validity of the message prior to taking any action.  Some good steps to take include:

• Ask yourself, are you the person that would typically perform these duties in your role, and is this the correct procedure in which this would be performed?
• Did this request come from a valid phone number/email that belongs to the person making the request?
• Follow up with the person via a phone call or email to validate the request prior to taking action (use a direct contact number/email as opposed to replying to the original message).
• In the event you can’t reach the person making the request, seek a second opinion from someone else in this person’s department to validate the request.

With today’s reliance on technology, scams like this are very common and impossible to avoid.  However, if we all remain aware of these types of tactics, we can avoid becoming a victim.  We will continue to send updates for any new potential threats as they emerge. 

Have a great day!

Jason Brandon

Executive Director of TSS.