Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 19 September 2024

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.

Is that gift card helping your congregation or paying a scammer?

From the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

You get an email from someone in your place of worship asking you to buy gift cards for a worthy cause. It might look legit, but hold on. Some scammers pretend to be pastors, rabbis, imams, or bishops to steal worshippers’ money. Learn to spot gift card scams — or your money might end up in a scammer’s collection plate.

If you get an unexpected message from legitimate looking email addresses asking you to send them money, it might be a phishing scam. Scammers use real religious leaders’ names — and sometimes even your real name — in the message to get you to trust them. They’ll say they need your help buying gift cards for a mission project or a surprise staff appreciation gift (so you don’t tell anyone) — and that you need to act quickly. They might tell you to put money on specific types of gift cards like Apple, Target, or Google Play. Then, they’ll ask you for the gift card number and PIN on the back of the cards. That’s the scam. If you do it, it’s like handing the scammer cash.

The FTC provides advise on how not to be scammed:

• Do not be rushed.
• Talk to someone.
• Know how scammers tell you to pay.
• Learn what to do if you already paid the scammer.

Analyst Comments:

Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) and their members are not immune to cybertheft and other scams. FBOs should consider reviewing the FTC’s advice. FBOs can also consider informing their members that they will not request members to donate to the FBO using gift cards.

Also, the FBI ‘Take A Beat’ Campaign Increases Awareness of Frauds and Scams website provides additional precautions, including:

• Take precautionary measures to protect your identity should a criminal gain access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity.
• Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door service offers.
• Search online for the contact information (name, phone number, email, addresses) of any unknown source which reaches out to you, as well as the proposed offer. Verify the legitimacy of businesses on websites such as Better Business Bureau. Other people have likely posted information online about businesses and individuals attempting to run scams.
• Never give or send to unverified people or businesses any personally identifiable information, money, checks, gift cards, or wire information.

The FBI also provides information on common frauds and scams at fbi.gov/scams.

Scam ‘Funeral Streaming’ Groups Thrive on Facebook

Krebs on Security reports:

Scammers are flooding Facebook with groups that purport to offer video streaming of funeral services for the recently deceased. Friends and family who follow the links for the streaming services are then asked to cough up their credit card information. Recently, these scammers have branched out into offering fake streaming services for nearly any kind of event advertised on Facebook. Here’s a closer look at the size of this scheme, and some findings about who may be responsible.

KrebsOnSecurity recently heard from a reader named George who said a friend had just passed away, and he noticed that a Facebook group had been created in that friend’s memory. The page listed the correct time and date of the funeral service, which it claimed could be streamed over the Internet by following a link that led to a page requesting credit card information.

Analyst Comments:

FBOs should consider informing their members of this Facebook “funeral streaming” scam. If a FBO does stream a funeral service, they should consider warning members not to pay for access. Also, FBOs can consider warning members that a Facebook group created about the deceased member may be a fraud.

Nerd Out EP 51. Assassination attempts and DVE, planning for fall and winter activities, and pager warfare.

The Gate 15 Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.

In the latest episode of Nerd Out, Dave and Alec covered the following areas… when Dave wasn’t having technical issues.

• The second Donald Trump assassination attempt and what it means for DVEs and venue security.
• Recent Terrorgram arrests.
• Planning for outdoor events in the fall and winter.
• Israel’s pager attack and the impact for third party protection.
• Nerd news talking Marvel, Star Wars, and why they haven’t watched Rings of Power.

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).