Recognizing Scam Emails

As more and more of our church interactions move online, it is more important than ever to be wary of fraudulent emails and other online schemes.

Here's an example of a real scam email sent to one of our own parishioners:

---

From: Fr Rodel Balagtas <[email protected]>

To: ****** <************@********.net>

Subject: MANY BLESSING

Hello

How are you doing

Let me know when you are available. There is something I need youto do.

I am going into a meeting now with limited phone calls, so just reply my email.

Blessing

Fr. Rodel Balagtas

Pastor

Incarnation Catholic Church

1001 N Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91202

---

This type of cyber attack is called spoofing - the act of disguising a fraudulent communication to make it look legitimate at first glance.

There are a couple red flags in this email that are common to other fraudulent communications.

Incorrect email address. A spoofed email address will not match the supposed sender's email. In this case, [email protected] is incorrect and this should be [email protected].
Unusual request. In this email, the sender does not want to talk face-to-face or even through a phone call. Be suspicious. Always verify in person or through a phone call using previously known numbers (not one provided in the email) before sending money or sensitive data.
Sense of urgency. The sender creates a sense of urgency in his request and can't even wait till the meeting is over before reaching out. In doing so, the receiver might act quickly without noticing signs that the email is a scam.

You can't stop the senders of these emails, but you can educate yourself and others to recognize these sorts of scams and avoid them. Click the link below for more information from the FBI on online scams and how to protect yourself.

LEARN MORE