June 19, 2009

The FTC has issued a new consumer alert – a scam targeting churches. The scammers are offering free equipment or services and target African American churches. In order to gain the trust of church staff, they profess a shared faith, culture or concern for the community

In one scenario, scammers offer computer equipment and claim the cost will be covered by a “sponsor”. The staff has to sign an agreement on a lease for the equipment, made the regular payment and deposit checks from the “sponsor”, a kind of reimbursement. No only does the sponsor turn out to be phony, but the scammers can gain access to the church’s financial accounts. They then withdraw funds.

The FTC has issued a new consumer alert to help consumers steer clear of this scam. To learn more, go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt138.shtm.