Phishing Scams (What to do if you get a suspicious email requesting money):

Our online giving portal can be found at FPC.LC/Giving or by clicking the heart icon at the top and bottom of each page on our website. Like most churches, we operate primarily through tithes, gifts, and offerings. And so, we are grateful to all those who feel called to give of their treasure, time, and/or talent!

However, we do want to note that a common internet scam is called “phishing,” and we want to use this space to make you aware of it. Phishing is when someone online pretends to be someone else in order to establish and exploit your trust. You may already be aware of “Nigerian Prince” emails like this — they aren’t actually Nigerian Princes and they will not send you millions if you first send them a few thousand!

In churches, phishing attempts typically look like is receiving a call, text, or email from someone claiming to be the pastor or other church staff member and then requesting that you send them money, your bank information, your debit or credit card number, or a gift card. These sorts of requests are difficult to prevent ahead of time because anyone can make a username or email address, claiming to be someone else. And unfortunately, scam artists often target churches in order to hijack the trust inherent in our relationships. So, the best method to prevent these scams are to be aware of how they work.

Some of the easy ways to spot phishing attempts are as follows:

• Check if you are going through the established online giving portal linked above. We will never ask for any financial information from you through any other electronic means (ie: we won’t email you or text you with a request for money, bank info, or a gift card).
• Check if the person sending the request is actually who they say they are. You can do this by comparing their email or phone number against the one you have in your address book or directory. If the email address is misspelled or otherwise unfamiliar to you, it is very likely to be a scam artist impersonating someone at the church.
• Ask yourself if what is requested of you sounds urgent, unusual, or with the expectation that you do it in secret. Again, we will never request your financial information, a gift card, or anything else like that except through our secure online giving portal.
• If you are still unsure, call that person or call the church office to confirm it first.  There will never be a situation where the church or any of her staff or members will reach out for money, gift cards, or other sensitive information but will be unable to otherwise receive a call from you. When in doubt, hang up or exit the email and call us to confirm.

If you get a phishing email, text, or other communication; please do the following:

• Ignore it, delete it, and do not engage with it. Even clicking “unsubscribe” on a suspicious email can be bad news. So, do not engage with it at all.
• Inform the person who is being impersonated so that they can inform other folks before they are scammed too.
• Use your email client’s built-in reporting features. Both Outlook and Gmail offer phishing report buttons that help improve their spam filters and protect the broader community.
• When in doubt, make direct contact. For instance, if you receive a request for money or sensitive info from an email address that is claiming to be the pastor here, call them or call the church office!

Phishing scams are an unfortunate part of modern life. But, with these resources and a discerning eye, they don’t stand a match!