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Background: CISA on recognizing phishing — Recognize and report phishing · Avoiding social engineering and phishing attacks. For active incidents see our guide: First hour after a gift-card scam.
How to spot a fake message from your pastor
A note from your church · Keep this in your Bible or on the fridge
We will NEVER ask you by text or email to buy gift cards, send money, or share a login code.
Scammers impersonate pastors. They use look‑alike emails or spoofed phone numbers and create urgency (“I’m in a meeting—please buy cards quietly”).
Red flags
- Asks for gift cards, wire transfers, cash apps, or crypto.
- Says don’t tell anyone or “keep this between us.”
- Email address is almost right but not our church domain (extra letters, gmail instead of our domain).
- Pressure to act immediately before you can call the office.
- Asks you to read back a verification code from a text.
What to do
- Do not reply, click links, or buy cards.
- Call the church office or pastor using a number you already trust (not one in the suspicious message).
- Tell a staff member or tech volunteer so we can warn others.
- If you already sent money, contact your bank or card issuer right away, then tell us.
Office phone: _______________________ Tech contact: _______________________
pewtech.church · Free church IT & security help for volunteers