STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — With many donation-related scams designed to get unsuspecting citizens to fork over their hard earned cash, it’s no surprise fraudsters pretending to be clergy are preying on Americans in increasing numbers.
Parishioners of Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. (OLGC) Church in Tompkinsville were warned during announcements at the end of last Sunday’s masses of religious scams afoot in Michigan. The Diocese of Grand Rapids sent out an alert to parishioners warning of social media scams based on clergy asking for money.
“Have you received text messages, emails, or messages through Facebook messenger from someone claiming to be your pastor and asking for money or gift cards, indicating it’s an emergency? Don’t give. It’s not your pastor. It’s a scam,” says the Diocese of Grand Rapids on its website.
The Diocese of Grand Rapids said it’s parishioners have been targeted by these scammers and so have church-goers from the Diocese of Austin, Texas; the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania; and the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida.
The alert indicates scammers are likely stealing information found on church websites or online from parish bulletins to trick parish members into handing over cash.
“Fraudsters using Facebook messenger have even gone so far as to include a priest’s profile picture, captured from Facebook or another online source, to make their correspondence appear more authentic,” said the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
While the Archdiocese of…
