Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church

Our Lady of Victory Parish has been subjected to a recent scam involving e-mail and/or text requests from the pastor. If you have received texts or emails asking you for money or a gift card, saying it’s an emergency, It's a scam. Just delete it. 

It’s not your pastor. It’s a scam.

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee has a specific policy regarding the use of giftcards in parishes. All parish are required to follow these policies and procedures regarding giftcards, and it is monitored through forensic auditing.

Once scammers capture information found on church websites or in church online bulletins, they attempt to trick church members into purchasing Google Play or Apple iTunes gift cards available at many retail stores in amounts up to $500, based on reports from various parishes. Scammers will then ask recipients to email or text — or even call in with — proof of the digital access code stamped on the cards.

Tracking down online gift card fraud is very difficult; caution and prevention is the best defense. While parishes are doing what they can to protect their parishioners from such scams, everyone should know that no priest will send out an email message asking for gift cards. Please be vigilant and even be skeptical of unknown cell numbers. Even if the texter has a familiar name and even if the text uses your name.

If you or someone you know paid a scammer with a gift card, report it as soon as possible. You may also want to call the card company - iTunes or Amazon or whoever it was - and tell them the gift card was used in a scam.