Beware: Religious leader demanding gift cards could be a scam

SAN ANTONIO – Imagine checking your email and receiving a surprising message from your religious leader, asking you to donate gift cards for a charitable cause. Beware, as this is most likely a scam.

Scammers often pose as pastors, rabbis, imams, or bishops in an attempt to deceive people and steal their money. They may even use real religious leaders’ names and your own name to establish trust, as noted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

These scammers typically claim to need assistance in purchasing gift cards for a supposed mission project or staff surprise, urging you to keep it confidential.

The FTC warns that scammers will ask you to load money onto gift cards from popular retailers like Apple, Target, or Google Play, and then provide them with the card number and PIN. They may also pressure you to act urgently, leaving you little time to question the situation.

To protect yourself, the FTC offers the following advice:

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  Contact a known phone number from your place of worship to confirm the legitimacy of the email.

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  Most genuine religious leaders won’t request gift cards via email.

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  If you’ve fallen victim to this scam, contact the card issuer for possible assistance.

Don’t forget to report any gift card scams to reportfraud.ftc.gov.