Don’t Reply to Urgent Requests for Gift Cards or Provide Your Personal Info

Bad news–Members have received personal text messages and emails appearing to be from one of the ministers and asking “for your help.” This is one of many costly and criminal scams which happen in the holidays, among other times.

Rev. Roger and Rev. Lucy will not ask you for gift card numbers or any personal information about a bank or credit card. We will not ask you for rapid, urgently needed assistance in this way. Watch out for such scams seeming to come from other contacts, especially those seeming to help others in urgent need.

If unsure, just contact the named person by a means other than replying to the email or text in question. Learn more about the various kinds of scams in articles at this link: www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/
Do not reply to these emails or text messages, or the criminals will know that your number or email address is an active one.

Good news–In contrast to the above alerts, you may have received legitimate emails through our Weekly Message email system which invite you to make a holiday donation for monetary gifts to our non-clergy staff, with instructions for a number of ways to contribute. Another legitimate email request for donations is coming from UUSS as a request to Make a Financial Difference at Year’s End. This also provides a number of ways to contribute.

Thank you for your care–and your carefulness!