Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 9; Flight Crew Total 5530; Flight Crew Type 5256
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Five minutes prior to scheduled departure time we were waiting for ramp to close the forward cargo door. A female voice came over the flight interphone informing us they were about to close the cargo door and said once the door was closed we could release brakes. Once the door was closed we completed the Before Pushback Checklist. The female ramp employee called the flight deck again and said they were ready and asked for the brake release. As soon as she said that a male voice got on the interphone and said 'ready for pushback and brake release.'The female was not our tug driver but a ramp employee trying to get an early brake release. I informed our tug driver this was against SOP; dangerous; and should not happen again.Unfortunately; this is not the first time this has happened to me.
Airline Captain reported an unknown individual asked the crew to release the aircraft brakes for pushback; resulting in a ramp safety issue.