12/31/2025
Someone is trying to get our congregation to send gift cards via text, but that person is not me (Pastor Craig). If you have received a fraud text from someone claiming they are me, please delete it immediately and absolutely do not send any money or gift cards. If possible report it as fraud.
I will never ask you to send me money personally in any way shape or form.
People like this prey on the good nature of honest Christians who love their neighbor and I’m sorry if you received a text like this. It makes me both sad and upset that anyone would target you, especially using my name.
Here are some tips to avoid fraud like this in the future:
Don’t respond to someone who isn’t in your contact list.
If someone claims to be using someone else’s phone (they might tell you their phone ran out of battery or was broken in some way), text or call that person on their actual number to verify - odds are the real person is just fine.
If you suspect it could be a legitimate request for help, verify the person is truly who they say they are. Make them tell you something only they would know about you or could be used to verify themselves.
If someone texts you out of the blue, ask them to give you a call. Although they could possibly deep fake a voice, that is truly on another level and at least at this point would be rare. But if they do call, again ask them to verify themsevles if they are calling from a number you don’t recognize.
