Email scam targets clergy, lay leaders
We have heard from a number of lay leaders this morning that they are receiving so-called "phishing" emails that ask for money, gift cards, or other favors posing as The Rev. Amy Dills-Moore. Please know that your clergy have not sent these emails and will
never
email you asking for money or gift cards.
Other churches, dioceses, and religious organizations have reported similar incidents in the past. The scheme involves scammers mimicking church staff, typically posing as someone in a position of authority asking victims for money transfers or gift cards. In these cases, the scammers will often manipulate the "from" email address and name so that it appears to be coming from someone you know, or the attacker uses a free email account and registers it with an impersonated name. They then send an email to an unsuspecting recipient asking for immediate help in order to get a task done (such as purchasing a gift card or wiring money).
Some suggestions:
- Check sender details carefully. Any suspicious email message should be investigated before replying. Pay attention to the message content, including attachments and URLs.
- When in doubt, call: If there are questions about any email, do not reply. Instead, contact the church office or other church leadership directly to inquire about the email.
- Label it spam: If your email service has the ability, report the email as spam.
- Report Phishing Attacks: the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team has an Incident Reporting page to report email phishing, as well as an email to forward them to, at https://www.us-cert.gov/report-phishing. Forward all emails to the Anti Phishing Working group at [email protected].
Scammers know they can count on the generosity and goodwill of parishioners. I love that about you too. But know that I will never send you an email asking for money or gift cards. Keep giving – but do it through the church and the wonderful community ministries we support.
