CORTLAND, NY — The Cortland County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam targeting local church members.
Scammers are sending text messages and emails to church members while posing as pastors or church leaders, according to Sheriff Mark E. Helms.
The fraudulent messages request that members purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers to the scammers.
Sheriff’s officials are urging residents to verify email addresses and phone numbers to ensure they are communicating with the intended person.
Residents who receive suspicious messages should hang up and contact the actual person the scammer is impersonating, according to the sheriff’s office.
Anyone who receives a message demanding payment by gift card or requesting financial or personal information should not share any details and should report the activity to their local police agency.
No official agencies will ever request payment in the form of gift cards, the sheriff’s office said.
