A message from your FKPC Safety Team regarding yesterdays attempted email scam for gift cards.

Friends-and-family (and now a Pastor imposter) scams are becoming increasingly common.

To lure victims into the scam, they typically begin with a txt, email or phone call from a person claiming to be a friend, relative, or grandchild in need of help. This is why it is also known as a “grandchild scam.”   Here is the email several people received yesterday, each with the first name of the recepient included;
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​Scammers will act quickly and try to get money before you realize it is a scam. 

By preying on fear and urgency, scammers create stories of great urgency and try to get you to part with your money before you have time to think it through.

​Victims often fall prey to the caller’s persuasive tactics, such as feeling guilty for not helping their family or friend in need. These attackers are highly manipulative and will often use the victim’s empathy against them to get what they want.

The scammer thief pretends to be your friend; in our case, the scammer created a fake email that looked like our Pastor's Email and contained her name.  There is always a need for quick funds!  Note the urgency in message #2.
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A common story is they were in a road accident and need money to compensate injured victims or to avoid a jail sentence. Other emergency situations may include leaving a foreign country due to an epidemic, paying a hospital or college fee to avoid penalties. 

In our case, message #3, it was showing cancer victims how much we care about them with $2,000 in gift cards.  There is no limit to how low thieves will crawl in their deceit! 
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In order to protect yourself from falling victim, stay vigilant and aware of the tactics used by scammers.

If you receive a call or message from someone claiming to be a friend or relative in need;

1. Do take a step-back and think!
2. Do not trust the communication!
3. Don't head to the store and purchase the requested gift cards!
4. Don’t click on any links or open any attachments.
5. Verify identity before responding;  contact the person directly to verify their identity.
6. If you decide to respond or ask questions, ask only those a stranger would not possibly be able to answer, to confirm their identity.  Remember, it is likely the person is not at all, who they claim to be.

Taking precautionary measures helps ensure you do not fall victim to a scam.
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