Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last week a truly awful thing happened. I want to share it with you in hopes that you will not get caught in the same way. “Knowledge is power,” they say. So I hope this will empower you.
Last week, I was happily spending time with old friends, enjoying catching up, cooking together, celebrating someone’s milestone birthday, visiting some of the lovely autumnal sites. (Alas, no good cider donuts. A major disappointment. Oh well.) Weather was wonderful, we were all happy to be together, and even more so, when another friend made the trip to join us as a surprise.
At the end of the week, I received a very confusing email from a different friend: “You need 6 more cards/$500 each.” I assumed something had gotten lost in the mail or this was sent to me by mistake. So I wrote back saying I didn’t understand. It turns out that a couple of days prior, my friend had received an email from “me”, asking for help in getting some gift cards since “I” was away. “I” needed them to distribute on Sunday.
I’m sure you know where this is going. It was a scam, and my friend was out over $1,000.
Here is what makes this event particularly insidious. The email did not come from my regular email address, but from something that actually looked like it might be a clergy address “pastorXXXX@gmail.com”. AND it was signed with all my official titles and St. Margaret’s name and address.
My friend is very savvy, is aware of scamming, and has defeated multiple scams in the past. But this one *looked* different. It looked like it really was from me. However, the scammers didn’t know, and my friend was too worried about me to notice, that I don’t use all my official titles when I sign emails (or letters). And I don’t use St. Margaret’s address. Scammers probably got all the information from the St. Margaret’s website. Clever of them to pull this when I was away in hopes that people wouldn’t check with me, or would
respond to the fraudulent email. OF COURSE, they would have gotten a warm, cozy answer if they had. My friend had the wisdom to email me at an alternative address before sending a second round of money.
PLEASE DON’T EVER send money in response to emails or phone messages UNLESS you have talked with the requester in person and have gotten not-generally-known answers to questions only the individual would know. Scammers have become incredibly sophisticated, and are even recording people’s voices to use in phone scams. They are using bots and AI to vacuum up information from the internet. They collect all
sorts of little pieces, and put them together to make it seem like it is the real person making contact.
I am angry that my kind friend was taken advantage of. I am even MORE ANGRY that my name and information were used to do it. And I have taken steps….in addition to saying “Smite, smite, smite!” of course.
Remember that Jesus told us to be “wise as serpents,” in addition to “gentle as doves.” May St. Michael, the Captain of the Host of Heaven, deal with these people and protect you all.
Praying daily with you, for our nation, our diocese, our parishes, and the world,
Mo. Laura
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COMING UP!
- Now-October 22 Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends Fundraiser: signup sheetattached
- October 6-November 24, Book Study, 7:00 p.m. online. Preregistration required
(send note to Laura) - October 18 Emmaus Halloween Parade: sign up in Parish Hall
- October 23 4:00-8:00 Armetta’s Dine to Donate, mention St. Margaret’s and the
church gets 20% - November 3 and November 17 6:00 Yoga class moved to Monday these weeks
- November 14 7:00 Poor Man’s Gambit Concert. Tickets available here
- November 16 9:00 ST. MARGARET’S DAY SERVICE and Reception
- Wednesday evenings, yoga class at 6:00 (discount for St. M members)
- Wednesdays, noonday prayer via zoom at 12:00
- Saturdays, Seventh Day Adventist congregation, 9:00-3:00