Scammers target churches with phishing emails

DECATUR, Ga. - A warning for churchgoers in metro Atlanta...beware of phishing emails from scammers.

Recently, several churches have reported similar incidents.

"They look legitimate," The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Senior Warden Ann Fowler said. "It was very friendly. They addressed me personally and it really looked like it was from our reverend."

Fowler received the most recent phishing scam email Wednesday morning, but received a similar one last week.

"In the email they ask you to respond and if you do so that's when they ask you to send gift cards," Fowler said.

But this isn't Fowler's first time coming across phishing scams.

"I noticed some spelling was wrong and punctuation," Fowler said. "But I also knew, our reverend would never send such a request."

But other people who attend the same church as Fowler weren't so lucky.

"They responded, purchased gift cards, but instead of sending them to the sender via email, they immediately came up to the church to give them to our reverend," Fowler said.

The church sent out a warning to the congregation with tips to help decipher a fake email from a real one.

Fowler said this has happened at other episcopal churches in area.

"Be sure to double check the sender's email address and if you think anything is suspicious then don't respond," Fowler said.