I am always pleased to open an email from my bishop. Besides the fact he’s my boss, I like to hear from him—unless I’ve done something I should not have done or something I’ve left undone.
Over the last year, however, emails from the bishop are often suspicious as he has been the target of a series of scams sent to people throughout the diocese. The last phony contact sent under his name even came with a profile photo. It landed in my inbox on January 18 and looked convincing but suspicious as well.
“These fake emails are becoming more sophisticated all the time. Please know, I will never ask for gift cards,” the bishop said to his staff on January 19 and requested that all be notified not to respond to the scammer.
How do you know if an email is from a scammer or a bishop? Open the email and click on the triangle in the recipient line. If you see the bishop’s correct email address, then it is most likely the bishop. If it is some other address, it is positively a scam.
If you want, report the scam by notifying your server. Also, let the bishop, or whoever is being spoofed, know that you received a fake email.
The sergeant on Hill St. Blues said at the end of all his briefings, “Let’s be careful out there.” Be careful in cyberspace, it can be very deceptive and dangerous.
The Rev. Scott Lenoir is the editor of The Mississippi Episcopalian.
