Scammers are using various names of ministers, church leaders and Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) staff to attempt to scam people via email. If you receive unusual emails from people such as Dr. Sonny Tucker, Executive Director of the ABSC or local pastors, be cautious in your response to them.
Oftentimes, these scammers will send an email requesting your help with a project. They usually make it sound like they are in need of your assistance in a job that will bless others, often phrasing it as a “surprise for the staff.” Normally, they request you to purchase multiple gift cards of high monetary value and send them photos of the gift card codes. However, these are scammers who are trying to steal your money.
If you receive an email from one of these scammers and you aren’t sure how to tell if it is real or not, we would encourage you to reach out to the person whose name is shown on the email. Ask them or their church/ministry assistant/secretary if they are aware of the email, email address or job request sent by the emailer. If you receive one of these emails and feel that it is a scammer, do not reply.
Common characteristics of these emails are listed below:
- Poor grammar/sentence structure
- A nonprofessional email address that is not affiliated with where they work
- A request for you to purchase gift cards or send them money
- Persistence in not telling anyone else, but keeping the email request private