05/11/2026
SCAM ALERT: We've shared this warning several times over the past few years, and it's time to give a reminder because we received one of the messages last week. If you receive an email, text message, Facebook messenger request, voicemail, or similar message claiming to be from one of our priests, deacons, or Bishops asking for a favor, request, help, or gift card, do not respond! These messages are fake.
These messages are part of a known scam that impersonates a priest (or deacon or Bishop) and asks someone to help him out by purchasing gift cards as soon as possible for an urgent request, emailing or texting the information to him, and promising to send reimbursement. It usually asks the person to keep the transaction private for "surprise" or "discretion." If the person goes through with the action, they lose the money they spent and do not receive any reimbursement.
If you receive one of these messages, delete it. If you think there's any chance the message could be real, pick up the phone and call your parish office to check. Don't email or text back to the message.
In the example shown here, we received an email claiming to be from Father Jose at St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church in Huntsville at the personal email address of the volunteer who runs this page. Father Jose did not send the email. The address used is not his email address. This email was easy to recognize as a fake scam, but others may not be. Please pay attention to the texts and emails you receive and think before you reply. If it looks out of the ordinary or suspicious, it is probably not real. Make sure to remind your family members too. Be careful and be smart - and say a prayer for conversion of the people who attempt these types of scams.
