The gift card request from the pastor
What it looks like, the one-line policy that stops most of it, and what to do if the codes were already sent.
The gift card request that looks like it came from the pastor is still one of the most common scams churches see. It arrives as an email or a text. It asks a staff member to buy gift cards for a surprise, send photos of the codes, and keep it quiet. The hurry and the secrecy are the whole point.
What the message looks like
A staff member or an office volunteer gets a message in the pastor's name. The tone is ordinary. The pastor is busy, it says, and needs gift cards for a surprise. Please buy them, send photos of the codes, and do not mention it. The email may only display the pastor's name, or the text may come from a number you do not already have.
Why it works
Staff are glad to help, so a note like this feels like part of the job. The hurry and the secrecy keep you from calling the pastor on a number you already trust. The FTC says scammers press you to act before you can think or talk with someone you trust. They want the numbers on the back of the card, or a photo of them. Those numbers are enough to spend the balance, even if you still hold the card.
Red flags
Treat the message as a scam, not an errand, when it:
- comes by email or text, not face to face
- asks you to buy gift cards for a surprise
- asks for photos of the codes, or for the numbers and PINs
- is urgent, and tells you to keep it secret
- shows the right name, but from an email address or phone number you do not already use for that person
A one-line policy
The church never asks for gift cards by email or text.
Put that sentence in writing where the office will see it. Share it with staff and key volunteers, including anyone who buys things for the church or watches the office email. Ask them to confirm any unusual request by calling the person on a number they already have. Do not reply to the message to check it, and do not call a number the message just gave you.
If someone already sent the codes
Stop. Do not buy another card or send another photo. Contact the company that issued the gift card right away. Tell them it was used in a scam, and ask whether they can freeze the balance or refund it. Keep the card and the receipt. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Tell the pastor and whoever handles church administration.
Consider whether the impersonating email came from a compromised church account. If it came from a real church mailbox, secure that account before more mail goes out in the pastor's name.
What the FTC says
The FTC states that anyone who asks you to pay with a gift card is a scammer. Its gift card scams page says only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card and give them the numbers off the back. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them.
If you want a second look
The Church Technology Checkup is a flat $850. It covers email security and impersonation protections. Send a note, or email hello@churchitcheckup.com.