Staff Bonus was âCrassâ Phishing Simulation
A British train company has been criticized for running a cybersecurity test that made employees think they would receive a bonus for working hard during the pandemic.
West Midlands Trains sent an email purporting to be from the company s managing director, Julian Edwards, out to its approximately 2,500 employees. The missive thanked staff for toiling through 2020 and told them that they would receive a one-off payment as a reward for their efforts.
But what appeared to be a welcome bonus during difficult times was actually a phishing simulation. When workers clicked on a link that appeared to connect to a personal thank you from Edwards, they were greeted with a message stating that the email was a cybersecurity test.
A trade union has slammed a train company’s “cynical and shocking stunt” after it promised employees a bonus in what was actually a cybersecurity test.
West Midlands Trains (WMT) emailed staff informing them they would receive a financial reward due to their “hard work” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Recipients were invited to click on a link for “information of your one-off payment”.
But the company sent a further email to those who opened the link, explaining that “this was a test designed by our IT team”.
The original message was designed to “closely mimic the tactics that, sadly, are being used on a daily basis by expert criminal organisations to try to gain access to company data”, the follow-up message stated.
A trade union has slammed a train company’s “cynical and shocking stunt” after it promised employees a bonus in what was actually a cybersecurity test.
West Midlands Trains (WMT) emailed staff informing them they would receive a financial reward due to their “hard work” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Recipients were invited to click on a link for “information of your one-off payment”.
But the company sent a further email to those who opened the link, explaining that “this was a test designed by our IT team”.
The original message was designed to “closely mimic the tactics that, sadly, are being used on a daily basis by expert criminal organisations to try to gain access to company data”, the follow-up message stated.
Updated 10/05/2021 20:58 BST
A Train Company Told 2,500 Staff They Were Getting A Bonus – But It Was Actually A Cybersecurity Test
Unions condemn West Midlands Trains “cynical and shocking stunt”.
PA
A trade union has slammed a train company after it promised employees a bonus in what was actually a cybersecurity test.
A train company has come under fire for emailling 2,500 staff to say they were in line for a bonus – only to reveal later it was actually a cybersecurity test.
West Midlands Trains (WMT) told staff they would receive a financial reward thanks to their “hard work” during the coronavirus pandemic.
West Midlands Trains scams its own staff with email promising a pandemic bonus
West Midlands Trains have their hub at Birmingham New St Station (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
A rail union has called out West Midlands Trains for emailing 2,500 employees with the empty promise of a pandemic bonus as part of a cybersecurity test.
In the email staff were thanked for their efforts under the “huge strain” of the pandemic and that managing director, Julian Edwards, wanted to thank them with a one-off payment in recognition, according to the Guardian.
But staff who clicked on the link in the email were told it was actually just a “phishing simulation test” test by the IT team “to entice you to click the link and used both the promise of thanks and financial reward.”