Some employees at Madison Square Garden thought they were getting an early chance to claim a New York Knicks championship ring. Instead, they were taking part in a cybersecurity test.
The Athletic reported that a mass email sent to employees in late September appeared to offer complimentary championship rings and invited recipients to select between two ring designs.
“Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” the email read, according to the outlet.
“(Employee name), this one is on the house. MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring. The same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name. No cost to you.
“There are two designs to choose from: Championship Gold and Garden Classic. Reserve the one you want below.”
The offer, however, was not legitimate.
The email was part of an internal phishing exercise designed to test whether employees would click the link. Workers who clicked were required to complete cybersecurity training as part of the organization’s efforts to heighten digital security awareness.
“MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack,” an MSG Sports spokesperson told NBC on Friday. “Using the rings as a lure to gain employees’ attention was an unfortunate mistake.”
The spokesperson added that the company is still honoring its team behind the scenes, “gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million, in recognition of their contributions.”
The revelation emerged after the Knicks held their championship ring ceremony Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where players received rings commemorating the franchise’s first NBA title in more than 50 years.
The Athletic also reported that some assistant coaches did not receive their rings during the ceremony and were instead presented with ring boxes, with the actual rings expected to be delivered later.
While MSG Sports did not address the empty ring boxes, the company maintained in its statement that rings will ultimately be distributed across the organization.
