It Looked Like A Scam Email Asking To Venmo $100. Then He Realized It Was A Mandatory Contribution To A Lavish Gift For The Boss

""Each person's contribution is $100. Please Venmo me when you have a chance," the email read. It was sent to 17 managers, totaling a $1,700 contribution to cover a luxury fish subscription for the company owner. The message came from the president, who also happens to be the owner's nephew and is reportedly being groomed to take over the business."

"'My first instinct was to report the email as phishing because I thought there's no way this guy is asking us all to Venmo him $100,' the original poster wrote. But upon closer inspection, it was legit: 'Head of HR and IT were both on the To line.' The tone of the email didn't make the contribution sound optional, and the employee questioned the whole premise."

A manager at an 80-person company with around $50 million in revenue was asked to Venmo $100 to the company president for a group gift. The request targeted 17 managers, totaling $1,700, to pay for a luxury fish subscription for the owner. The president, who is the owner's nephew and a potential successor, sent the message with HR and IT copied, making the email appear legitimate. The email's tone did not present the contribution as optional, prompting the employee to question the premise. Business owners reacting online called the expectation inappropriate and said gifts should flow downward.

Read at Benzinga