09/19/2024

Is that gift card helping your congregation or paying a scammer?

FTC

You get an email from someone in your place of worship asking you to buy gift cards for a worthy cause. It might look legit, but hold on. Some scammers pretend to be pastors, rabbis, imams, or bishops to steal worshippers’ money. Learn to spot gift card scams — or your money might end up in a scammer’s collection plate.

If you get an unexpected message from legitimate looking email addresses asking you to send them money, it might be a phishing scam. Scammers use real religious leaders’ names — and sometimes even your real name — in the message to get you to trust them. They’ll say they need your help buying gift cards for a mission project or a surprise staff appreciation gift (so you don’t tell anyone) — and that you need to act quickly. They might tell you to put money on specific types of gift cards like Apple, Target, or Google Play. Then, they’ll ask you for the gift card number and PIN on the back of the cards. That’s the scam. If you do it, it’s like handing the scammer cash.