Stealing money
from well-meaning people
Our ministers do not solicit contributions via email. Here is a scam email recently received by one of our members. Our Unitarian Universalist Association also has information on this subject...
This one was received November 8, 2021, and included a picture of Doug copied from our website. The email address is fraudulent, but looks official. The church address is public information:
Many Blessings
Rev. Dr. Doug Wadkins <revdrdougwadkinss@gmail.com> to me
Good Morning, how are you doing?
I need a favor from you, email me as soon as you get this message.
God Bless
Rev. Dr. Doug Wadkins
Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota
3975 Fruitville Road,
Sarasota FL 34232
Rev. Dr. Doug Wadkins <revdrdougwadkinss@gmail.com> to me
Good Morning, how are you doing?
I need a favor from you, email me as soon as you get this message.
God Bless
Rev. Dr. Doug Wadkins
Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota
3975 Fruitville Road,
Sarasota FL 34232
Here are some previous ones:
From: Rev Roger Fritts <[the scammer used a bogus email account with Roger's name in it]>
This email even included a picture of Roger.
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Subject: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: [member's email address]
Hello How are you doing?
I need a favor from you message me as soon as you get this
God Bless
Rev. Roger Fritts
-------------------------------------------------
Our member sent the following reply:
From: [member's name and email address]
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
Message? How? I can text you. What's the number?
------------------------------------------------
Which generated this response, probably automatically generated when the member replied to the scam email. Notice that the response does not answer the member's question.
from: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
to: [member's name and email address]
date:Mar 16, 2020, 11:07 AM
subject:Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
Thanks for getting back to me [member's name] , Am in meeting right now , and can not make calls , and due to my busy schedule, I can not get things done myself ,
I just need to get Steam card or eBay today for some women going through cancer at the hospital but I can't do that right now because of my busy schedule.
Can you get it from any store around you? and I will pay you back later in cash or check.
Let me know if you can get the card for these patients.
God Bless
-----------------------------------------------
The member replied with this:
From: [member's email address]
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
How do I get a Steam card or eBay?
----------------------------------------------------
and got this response. Notice that the intended victim is again promised to be paid back.
from: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
to: [member's name and email address]
Ok good I will be so glad if you can get the for me.There are 10 of the women
but I'm thinking of $500 worth of Steam Gift card or eBay gift Card only for 5 for now, ($100 or $50 denomination each. That's 5 cards of $100 each).
Steam Gift card or eBayCard can be get at Best Buy, Kroger, Walmart or Target Store , and get it activated at the point of buying
Am out of the parish office for a pressing meeting. I only need you to scratch the cards, then take a SNAP SHOT of the back each showing the PIN and have them sent to me here so I'll just forward to them easily.
Will you be able to get the card for the patients right away?
Please let me know if that's okay with you.
Also don't forget to let me know if you would want me to pay you
back the $500 in cash or check
-------------------------------------------------
Had the member bought the gift cards and followed the email instructions, the scammer would have cashed the gift cards. The member would never have heard from the scammer again and would never have received any money back.
Our ministers do not solicit donations by email. Roger is contacting the email service provider about this. But it's likely to happen again with a different email address. Especially if the scammer was successful.
From: Rev Roger Fritts <[the scammer used a bogus email account with Roger's name in it]>
This email even included a picture of Roger.
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Subject: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: [member's email address]
Hello How are you doing?
I need a favor from you message me as soon as you get this
God Bless
Rev. Roger Fritts
-------------------------------------------------
Our member sent the following reply:
From: [member's name and email address]
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
Message? How? I can text you. What's the number?
------------------------------------------------
Which generated this response, probably automatically generated when the member replied to the scam email. Notice that the response does not answer the member's question.
from: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
to: [member's name and email address]
date:Mar 16, 2020, 11:07 AM
subject:Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
Thanks for getting back to me [member's name] , Am in meeting right now , and can not make calls , and due to my busy schedule, I can not get things done myself ,
I just need to get Steam card or eBay today for some women going through cancer at the hospital but I can't do that right now because of my busy schedule.
Can you get it from any store around you? and I will pay you back later in cash or check.
Let me know if you can get the card for these patients.
God Bless
-----------------------------------------------
The member replied with this:
From: [member's email address]
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
To: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
How do I get a Steam card or eBay?
----------------------------------------------------
and got this response. Notice that the intended victim is again promised to be paid back.
from: Rev Roger Fritts <[Roger's bogus email address]>
Date: Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: PEACE BE WITH YOU
to: [member's name and email address]
Ok good I will be so glad if you can get the for me.There are 10 of the women
but I'm thinking of $500 worth of Steam Gift card or eBay gift Card only for 5 for now, ($100 or $50 denomination each. That's 5 cards of $100 each).
Steam Gift card or eBayCard can be get at Best Buy, Kroger, Walmart or Target Store , and get it activated at the point of buying
Am out of the parish office for a pressing meeting. I only need you to scratch the cards, then take a SNAP SHOT of the back each showing the PIN and have them sent to me here so I'll just forward to them easily.
Will you be able to get the card for the patients right away?
Please let me know if that's okay with you.
Also don't forget to let me know if you would want me to pay you
back the $500 in cash or check
-------------------------------------------------
Had the member bought the gift cards and followed the email instructions, the scammer would have cashed the gift cards. The member would never have heard from the scammer again and would never have received any money back.
Our ministers do not solicit donations by email. Roger is contacting the email service provider about this. But it's likely to happen again with a different email address. Especially if the scammer was successful.