If your pastor texts or emails you asking for money or a gift card, saying it's an emergency, don't give. It's not your pastor. It's a scam.

The Diocese has received various notifications about the scam, but it's not just a local problem. The Diocese of Austin, Texas, also reported the scam, and the Texas attorney general issued a consumer alert about it. The warning said the scammers are probably using the information found on church websites or in online church bulletins to trick church members into parting with their cash.  

The scam is known to begin with a call, email, or text attempting to deceive someone that it is coming from a priest. It uses the name of the priest, although the email used is not the address of the priest. This is followed by a request of some currency (gift cards, iTunes cards, Visa cards) to aid in some kind of emergency (sick, traveling and lost a passport, or some other crisis).

The scam aims to appeal to your kindness and concern for the priest by creating an urgency that he requires financial support due to an emergency. We encourage you to look at emails carefully as, in most instances, the scammer has created a similar email address to the priest but with subtle differences.

The scam is also not limited to parishioners but can also affect members of our religious community. Pictured below is an image of a scam: Text message purportedly sent by Bishop Baldacchino to a Deacon from our diocese. 

Please find a news related link that makes mention of the scam here:  https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/4-investigators-impostor-priest-targeting-the-faithful/5   
 

5 signs of a scam

These tips are taken from the website of the Texas state attorney general:

• They contacted you. When you contact a business, you know who's on the other end of the line. But when someone contacts you first, you can't be certain they're telling the truth. You don't know if they are whom they say they are. And remember, email addresses and caller ID information can be faked.

• They dangle bait — usually money. Let's face it: People simply don't give away large sums of money easily. If someone dangles bait in front of you — a big prize, a shopping spree, an easy loan — for nothing, they're probably lying.

• They want your personal information. Anytime anyone asks for your personal information — bank accounts, social security number, etc. — you should be on alert. Don't give it away quickly or easily, especially to someone you don't know. You may become a victim of identity theft.

• You have to pay them first. If someone offers you a prize, debt relief, or employment — but first you have to pay an upfront fee to get it — you're probably being scammed.

• You have to wire money or send gift cards. If you're about to wire money or send gift cards to someone in order to receive a prize, or pay off a debt collector that contacts you ... STOP!! This may be a scammer trying to take your money.