We all felt for Clark Griswold when, instead of his expected year-end bonus, he received a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club (the gift that keeps on giving the whole year). Think about Clark's outrage when you read this story, which recently made the rounds (c/o The Verge):
What's the cruelest prank you can make on employees who are struggling during a pandemic when millions of people have lost their jobs or lives? GoDaddy … tried to find out when it sent employees a fake email informing them they'd receive a $650 holiday bonus. …
GoDaddy sent an email phishing "test" to its employees promising much-needed money: "2020 has been a record year for GoDaddy, thanks to you!" it said. "Though we cannot celebrate together during our annual Holiday Party, we want to show our appreciation and share a $650 one-time Holiday bonus!"
The employees who clicked the link then reportedly received an email two days later telling them they failed the test. Instead of receiving a holiday bonus, they'd instead be required to take a training course on social engineering.
Ouch! While we shouldn't underestimate the importance of cybersecurity in today's workplace, we also shouldn't underestimate the outrage of employees who were misled into believing they had received a holiday bonus. Let's hope no one spent their $650 windfall in the 48 hours before GoDaddy informed them that they had been duped.