Beware of fraudulent emails in the Diocese of Ontario

There have been reports of Anglicans in our diocese receiving emails supposedly from their clergy asking for gift cards or money or for a request to contact them . This is a modern scam where fraudsters use an existing [or create a fake] email account of someone in your parish [clergy in some cases] and email parishioners asking for them to contact them immediately. If you receive a suspicious email from someone in your parish or from the diocesan office asking either for gift cards or for you to contact them, please contact your parish priest right away. Always closely examine emails/phone calls/messages to ensure it is exactly from the purported sender and is consistent with how that person communicates. When unsure, use a known contact [phone or email] to confirm with them.