LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Scammers are posing as Louisville priests to trick people into giving them money or gift cards.
Parishes throughout the Archdiocese are warning parishioners about suspicious texts, including those at St. Patrick Catholic Church in east Louisville.
This isn't the first time text scams have circulated through Louisville's Catholic community.
"Over time, that has become more sophisticated and creative," said the Very Reverend Jeff Shooner, St. Patrick Catholic Church Pastor.
Shooner said scammers want to gain the trust of his parishioners, so they use his name.
"The text message said that I was in a meeting, but I had a family that the mother was dying of cancer, and so I needed gift cards to help support the family. And they were trying to get a parishioner to give those gift cards to me because I was tied up," Shooner said.
"The scams really attack that trust. And it is an injustice for the scammers who are doing it and for our people, because it erodes that sense of ability to depend on one another," he said.
Another scam text used a different local priest's name. It said, "Hi John, Please return my text when you get it, I have a favor to ask. Blessings and Peace, Rev. Jonathan Erdman"
Shooner said the scam is convincing. "So regrettably, I do know some people that follow through on the scan, and a lot of times with gift cards, they asked you to send the number not to drop off the gift card."
He said priests will never request gift cards or money directly through a text message for any kind of ministry or personal use. If scammers contact you, delete the text or email, report them as spam and block their number. Do not respond.
It's good to remember that if the area code is not local, it’s likely a scam.
"People want to help me, right they because of that relationship, and so they, sometimes against better judgment, will start to follow through on that," Shooner said. "Oftentimes, the parish council members will be targeted or there'll be other people that that have some public connection to the parish and they prey on those relationships."
St. Margaret Mary also sent an email this week to inform its parish and asked them to warn others.
Shooner currently serves as the pastor for both St. Patrick and St. Boniface. On July 1, 2023, he was named the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Louisville. For more information, click here.
To report a scam text, you can email ourparish@stpatlou.org or call (502) 244-6083.
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