in the last couple of days, some of you may have experienced a fraudulent text message scheme. There are several different text messages (allegedly from our leadership) being sent to members of the church. They either ask for you to reply to the text message to help “discreetly” address a need in the church OR asking you to purchase gift cards to be distributed as gifts to shut-ins.
DO NOT REPLY to the text message. It is not coming from any number associated with the church. The aim of these hackers is to get you to reply to the text in order to try and access private information. We are not the only church experiencing these sophisticated “phishing” efforts. Variations of this scheme are currently rampant in faith communities. Going forward, be assured that:
- Dayspring and its leaders do not solicit donations or other assistance in this manner. Your best defense is to be alert to communications that seem out of character or unusual in nature.
- As far as we have been able to determine, this scam does not involve a breach of any confidential church data or information over which we have control. We have reached out to our IT consultant for further insights into any options we have to help block such scams in the future.
In the meantime, the best way to protect yourself against possible identity theft or fraud is to be alert to texts or emails that just don’t seem “right” and simply press DELETE. DO NOT RESPOND.
Thanks to those who have let us know about this scheme having targeted our community. Please continue to let us know of further instances. If you have any questions, please call our office at 480-838-1446 or email us. Thanks again for your understanding and vigilance in being on the lookout and helping deter this kind of fraud.