Phishing Alert - Scammers Targeting UUSM Members!
Several times in the last couple of years, scammers NOT associated with the church have sent out texts and e-mails (all from gmail.com addresses) that look like they belong to our minister, president or administrator but are NOT associated with any of them, or with the church in any way. The messages ask for financial or other unspecified assistance and encourage a discreet response or ask people to send money or gift cards to the person who sent the original note.
The scam has now popped up again, so we want to renew our warnings. Here are some of the addresses used by the fake e-mails (again, note that all of them are GMail addresses, which we do NOT use for church business):
- uusmpastor@gmail.com
- office.email1245@gmail.com
- bchurch.info.church@gmail.com
- revjeremiahkalendae432@gmail.com
- leadpastor97@gmail.com
- churchonline131@gmail.com
Please note that these addresses do NOT belong to Rev. Jeremiah or to any other staff member at our church.
Here are the texts of some of the fake notes:
Most recent (via GMail):
"Hello Hope you doing good? I need a favor. Please reply me through this mail as soon as possible. Thanks. Jeremiah Kalendae Minister"
...and...
"Hello, Do you have a moment? I have a request I need you to handle discreetly. No calls so you should just reply via email."
A few months ago (via text):
"I pray that your family are safe and well. Do you have a moment? I have a request I need you to handle discreetly. I am currently busy in a prayer session, no calls just reply to my text. Peace and love, Pastor Jeremiah Kalendae."
Previously we've seen (via GMail):
"Available? Write back."
Also:
"Glad to hear from you,I'm in a meeting right now, that's why i'm contacting you through here, i should have called you instead of mailing you but phones are not allowed to be used during meetings and i can't pick calls now.
I just need to get eBay gift card today for some women going through cancer at the hospital but I can't do that right now because of my busy schedule.
Can you get it from any store around you possibly now? and I will pay you back later in cash or check. Let me know if you can get the card for these patients.
Blessings."
And:
"Hi, How Are You Doing?
I Need An Assistance From You, Email Me As Soon As You Get This Message.
Peace,"
An older one:
"Hi,Get back to me as soon as you receive my message, I need you to handle something for me, I can't talk on the phone at the moment, Just reply to me on here.Blessings,Rev Jeremiah Kalendae"
And another one:
"Do you have a moment I have a request i need you to handle discreetly. I'm a little busy
at the moment,no calls so just reply my email. Thanks"
Please note that THESE MESSAGES ARE NOT FROM ANYONE AT UUSM...AND THE ADDRESSES DO NOT BELONG TO THE CHURCH. All official UUSM correspondence these days comes from addresses ending in @uusm.org, NOT from anything at gmail.com
If you receive one of the scam e-mails, please do NOT click on anything in it, do NOT reply to the e-mail, and do NOT send any money to the person who sent the e-mail.
For more on phishing scams and how you can recognize them, see https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/
Finally, if you use GMail and have received an email from the address shown above above, or from any other address that looks like it's from the church but ends in @gmail.com and not @uusm.org, please report it to Google by following these steps:
1. Open your Gmail inbox and click to open the phishing message.
2. Click or tap the three-dot “More” menu next to the Reply button.
3. Click or tap “Report phishing” to open the pop-up window, then click “Report phishing.” The message is forwarded to the Gmail Team.
Also, users of any email program can report the emails to the federal government by forwarding the messages to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.