Today, we’ve heard new reports of individuals receiving fraudulent emails from someone pretending to be Bishop Humphrey. This is called spoofing, and is a scam that targets individuals with contact information that can be found publicly through our website.
These emails are not from the Bishop. These emails often start with a discussion that eventually leads to an ask for money or gift cards. Please do not respond should you receive these emails. If the email doesn’t end in @vasynod.org it is not from the Bishop or the Bishop’s staff.
Usually, if you look at the return email address you will notice it is not the same as Bishop Humphrey’s address (which is humphrey@vasynod.org). This means the email account has not been hacked, but it is still a dangerous deception.
For example:
In the past year, this has happened with more frequency in synods and congregations across the ELCA. This is not a hack to our email system, but rather a common scam tactic. Often times, scammers like this can make convincing looking emails. The key is to look at the from address carefully to be sure it is from the individual it claims to be. This is especially important to stay vigilant as we are increasingly working remotely and rely on electronic communication.
Neither the Bishop, nor any staff members of the Office of the Bishop will ever ask for funding or any odd monetary request by email. Should you have any concerns for emails that appear to be sent by our office, please contact the Office of the Bishop directly at 540-855-7455.
Peace!
Emily Pilat
Director of Communications
