Reuters/Mal Langsdon
UK train operator West Midlands Trains sent an email to about 2,500 employees offering a bonus.
The email was actually a phishing test that used both the promise of thanks and financial reward.
WMT has since been slammed by the Transport Salaried Staffs Association for its cynical and shocking stunt.
UK train operator West Midlands Trains is facing backlash for sending its employees a crass and reprehensible cybersecurity test disguised as a bonus announcement for working through COVID-19.
On April 12, about 2,500 West Midlands Trains employees received an email from the company thanking them for their work through the huge strain placed upon a large number of our workforce as a result of COVID-19, according to the email posted by Transport Salaried Staffs Association, a travel and transportation union that represents some of WMT s staff.
The email promised a one-off payment, but those who clicked the link for the bonus received a message telling them it was a phishing simulation test designed by the firm s IT team to entice employees.
The leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, Manuel Cortes, called the email crass and reprehensible , according to
the Guardian, especially considering many of the people who work for West Midlands Trainline have had to do so on the front line throughout the pandemic.
However, while the initiative isn t ideal in the current climate, there s often a balance between upsetting the business vs what a malicious attacker would consider, according to Scott Nicholson, the co-CEO of cyber security firm Bridewell Consulting
Fury as West Midlands Trains staff offered bonus in email - only to discover it was a test
Staff were told that their hard work during the pandemic was being rewarded
Updated
London Northwestern train, operated by West Midlands Trains
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A transport union has condemned West Midlands Trains after it sent an email to around 2,500 staf promising them a bonus - which turned out to be fake.
Last modified on Mon 10 May 2021 18.29 EDT
A rail union has hit out at a âcynical and shocking stuntâ after a train company emailed staff to promise a bonus to workers who had run trains during the pandemic â only to reveal it was in fact a test of their cybersecurity awareness.
West Midlands Trains emailed about 2,500 employees with a message saying its managing director, Julian Edwards, wanted to thank them for their hard work over the past year under Covid-19. The email said they would get a one-off payment as a thank you after âhuge strain was placed upon a large number of our workforceâ.