DUXBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - Duxbury police are warning the public about a scam involving a fake church email address that is sending out messages soliciting money from parishioners.
A scammer created a Gmail account in an attempt to impersonate the Rev. Mally Lloyd of St. John the Evangelist Church in Duxbury, according to police.
The suspect has allegedly been emailing parishioners, demanding money and gift cards to assist those who are battling cancer.
“They’re preying on people’s trust of the church and of the pastor,” Lloyd said. “Using cancer patients to try and dupe people out of their money.”
At least a dozen churchgoers have received fake emails, which look like they were sent by Lloyd.
The emails have been typically sent seeking only a favor at first but the scammer’s phony pitch comes in a follow-up message.
One parishioner was asked to send 50 $100 iTunes gift cards.
Lloyd said the email read, “Please scratch off the back, take a photo of the numbers and send them to me so I can help the cancer patients.”
Duxbury’s Dep. Police Chief Stephen McDonald said the request for iTunes gift card numbers is a big red flag and popular among scammers.
“No legitimate agency is going to ask for payment in iTunes cards,” he said. “If you get that in an email, automatically you have to assume that it’s a scam.”
Anyone who may have fallen victim to the scam or has information is asked to call Duxbury police at 781-934-5656.
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