The emails read something like this: “I need a favour from you, email me as soon as you get this message.”

Individuals who have responded to these emails then get a request from “Scott” to purchase gift cards on behalf of “a friend of mine going through cancer in the hospital.”

If you have received one of these emails, or if one shows up in your inbox, do not respond. Forward the email to us at [email protected].

How can you tell if an email is fraudulent without opening it? Pay attention to the sender’s address. The hackers have so far used “ceo @ officeadmin.us,” “scottbackjohnston @ gmail.com” and “scootblackjohnston @ gmail.com.” (Note the misspellings in Scott’s name.) They may well try others.

Only trust church-related emails that come from an fapc.org address.

Our IT security team is on top of this and doing everything possible to block fraudulent emails as they arise. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” that will protect us from every scam, every time.

The most important thing any of us can do is be cautious. Be on guard against emails from suspicious addresses that request private, personal information, invite you to click on links or open attached documents, or ask you to make a purchase.

Neither the pastors nor the staff will ever ask you for your personal banking information, credit card numbers or other private information. We will not ask you for a “favor” that requires a cash, credit card or bank card expenditure.

If you have questions, contact us at [email protected].