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Increased Phishing Scam Activity Due to Thanksgiving & Black Friday Sales
Dear Friends in Christ,
Across the country, as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, scammers are also preparing to flood the digital landscape with large-scale phishing and whaling attacks. This is due to the spike in online (and in-store) purchases that will take place in the next few days.
You may receive multiple phishing emails and text messages in the coming weeks as we have already started to receive these at the diocesan office. Just a reminder that Bishop Reddall or any of her staff members will NEVER ask you for money directly, especially not in the form of gift cards, wire transfers, or crypto-currency. If you receive any emails, text messages, or social media messages such as Facebook Messenger, Bluesky, Instagram Messages, etc, that seem suspicious, do not open them. Report them as spam and make sure to delete the message and block the sender.
Please also share this information with your congregations. They may receive emails and messages from “church leaders,” both clergy and lay who are asking for money in various forms. These messages usually start simple and don’t directly ask for money until you engage with them. For example:
The message may say, “Hey, do you have a moment to talk today?” or “Hi, I need a favor, can you reply?”
If you open and reply to these messages, then they will start their scam to get you to send them money. DO NOT SEND THEM MONEY of any kind.
I have created a short Cyber Security 101 PDF document that you can view HERE (and don’t worry, it is a legitimate link.)
This pdf goes over some basic statistics and Cyber Security best practices.
I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend and stay safe out there!
Sincerely,
Laurel Way
Director of Communications and IT
Episcopal Diocese of Arizona
If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at laurel@azdiocese.org, or you can respond to this email directly.
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