Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 20 November 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

Police Find Grenade Strapped to Utility Pole Near New Jersey Synagogue

From The Messenger News Article:

The grenade was allegedly “real but not active,” according to the network.

The New Jersey State Police “bomb squad responded and ensured the safety of the area, to include the synagogue,” the post continued.

Another suspicious package with powder sent to Seattle synagogue

The Seattle Times reports:

A fifth Jewish institution in Seattle has received a suspicious envelope with powder. The package was discovered over the weekend and was seemingly sent to coincide with the Sabbath.

The contents of the package sent to Chabad of Capitol Hill & the Central Area on 18th Avenue East are not hazardous, Seattle Fire Department said Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Four other Jewish centers received similar envelopes: Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation, the Congregation Ezra Bessaroth, Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch and Hillel at the University of Washington. The package sent to the Jewish campus organization did not contain any white powder.

While the substances have been harmless, the suspicious packages were especially frightening against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which began with an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 and has seen the continued bombardment and invasion of Gaza, causing many Seattle-area Jews to feel on edge amid a sharp rise in antisemitism.

And as elections workers hurriedly counted ballots during major elections the same week, they were interrupted and forced to evacuate due to similar packages.

Six counties in Washington state — King, Skagit, Spokane, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston — received packages with white powder, some with traces of fentanyl. Nobody was harmed, but the mail was viewed as a disruption to the election process.

Related items:

• Multiple Mass. towns investigating bomb threats to places of worship
• Virginia Synagogue Evacuated After Bomb and Stabbing Threats Were Made During Service and Police investigate bomb threat against Arlington Co. synagogue
• Police: Residents evacuate due to bomb threat at Hingham synagogue
• BPD: Bakersfield school and church targeted in widespread email bomb threat hoax

Analyst Comments:

Threats, suspicious packages, and actual explosives and packages with fentanyl or other hazardous materials continue to be a threat to Faith-Based Organizations (FBO). The Israel-Hamas Conflict has raised antisemitism and islamophobia around the world. FBOs should consider reviewing the following guidance.

The DHS Resources and Information for Faith and Community Leaders Regarding the Israel – Hamas Conflict was update October 19 and provides numerous resources for Faith-Based Organizations.

28-page Bomb Threat Guide from CISA and the FBI.  

The US Postal Service Inspectors provide Poster 84 – Suspicious Mail or Packages to help identify suspicious packages.

ZenBusiness provides additional information in Prepare to Respond to Mailed Threat of White Powder.

The Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 06 November 2023 has additional information on handling suspicious packages containing white powder.

The Physical Threat Security Resources section of the FB-ISAO’s Resource Library has resources for Bombing Prevention, and Mail and Package and Bag Checks.

FBI Warns of Scammers Targeting Senior Citizens in Grandparent Scams and Demanding Funds by Wire, Mail, or Couriers

The FBI is warning the public of scammers targeting senior citizen victims in grandparent scams and demanding funds by wire, mail, or couriers.

• Initial Contact: A scammer calls a senior citizen victim and poses as the victim’s grandchild, who is purportedly in jail after causing an automobile accident. In some cases, the accident involves a diplomat or a pregnant woman.
• Follow-Up Contact: Another scammer contacts the victim, posing as the grandchild’s attorney, and requests payment for legal fees, bond money, or medical expenses for a purportedly injured person involved in the accident.
• Further Requests: Scammers instruct victims to maintain secrecy, sometimes referring to a judge-imposed gag order, which, if broken, will result in the grandchild going to jail or incurring more fines. Scammers may also request additional money because of a serious injury or a fatality resulting from the purported accident.
• Methods of Payment: Scammers instruct victims to send funds via wire transfer; cash, packaged in magazines or books, and sent through the US mail; or to provide the money to witting or unwitting couriers, such as ride share drivers, who retrieve the money in person at the victim’s residence.
• From January through September 2023, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 195 victim complaints regarding grandparent scams, resulting in at least $1.9 million in victim losses.

Related Items:

• Pro Bono Investigations for Elderly Scam Victims
• UK: Thornaby: Woman targeted in £13k train station QR code scam
• Rolex Black Friday, Spotify, USPS, and AUPost: Top Scams of the Week

Items from earlier DAP:

• FBI PSA 2023 Holiday Shopping Scams
• 2023 Holiday Scam Predictions—Here’s What You Should Know
• FBI Springfield Warns of Charity Fraud During Israel-Hamas Conflict
• Crypto Scammers Exploit Gaza Crisis, Deceiving Users in Donation Scam
• Slow your scroll: Spot and avoid social media giveaway scams
• FTC Obtains Orders Halting Mobile Cramming Scheme
• Retro Gaming of Denver Sale Scam

Analyst Comments:

World and national tensions are extremely high. The coming holidays can create their own tension. At this time, it’s easy to be distracted and fall for a wide variety of scams. If your inner alarm ever goes off and something does not seem right, review the situation with a trusted friend or relative. Do not let a scammer’s feigned sense of urgency create a sense of urgency in you. Take a step back and calmly evaluate the situation.