EverestMSS Cybersecurity Services

Recently, scammers have increasingly targeted pastors through phone calls, text messages, and emails. These fraudsters often pose as fellow ministers, church members, or charitable organizations to deceive pastors into giving away personal information or money. As shepherds of their congregations, pastors need to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves from these malicious schemes. Here are some practical ways to safeguard personal information and avoid falling victim to scams.

1. Keep Personal Emails Private

Pastors should avoid using their primary email addresses publicly. Instead, consider the following strategies:

• Use Plus Addressing: Many email providers allow plus addressing (e.g., yourname+church@example.com). This can help track where an email address was leaked. Let’s say your email is holypastor@gmail.com, and you are putting your email address in a raffle ticket in Sta. Lucia Shopping, you can put stalucia+holypastor@gmail.com. Once you receive a spam email, you will see the complete email address and know where to start investigating the leak.
• Create a Separate Email for Public Use: Use a dedicated email for church-related inquiries and keep personal emails private. Or you can use an email forwarder, so that your actual email is kept private. If spams start getting into your email forwarder, just change the email forwarder.
• Be Cautious with Email Responses: If an email seems suspicious, verify the sender before replying. Avoid clicking on unknown links or downloading attachments. If it sounds to good to be true, it is too good to be true.

2. Avoid Displaying Personal Phone Numbers

One of the easiest ways scammers gain access to pastors is through publicly listed phone numbers. Consider these measures:

• Use a Church or Business Number: Instead of listing a personal number, use a dedicated church phone or cell phone.
• Utilize Call Screening Features: Many smartphones and service providers offer spam detection and call screening tools to filter out suspicious calls. Mark scammers as scam and block them on your phone. Then report these numbers to the authorities. See #6 below.
• Never Share Verification Codes: Scammers often try to gain access to accounts by tricking victims into sharing one-time passwords (OTP) sent to their phones.

3. Separate Personal and Ministry Communications

To minimize risks, pastors should maintain a clear distinction between personal and ministry-related communications:

• Use Different Phone Numbers: Have one number strictly for personal use and another for church-related matters.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Secure online accounts, including email and social media, by enabling 2FA. This adds an extra layer of security in case of a data breach. You can also use a hardware token to add an additional layer of security. This is a little additional expense, but it also gives you additional peace of mind.
• Use a Church-Owned Messaging Platform: Instead of personal messaging apps, use a designated church communication system to interact with members and staff. If your church is registered as a non-profit, you are entitled to technology grants from tech giants such as Google and Microsoft. Our company can help you navigate and set it up at very minimal cost.

4. Verify Requests for Money or Sensitive Information

Scammers often pretend to be a church member in need or a fellow pastor seeking assistance. Before responding:

• Confirm Directly with the Person: If someone claims to be in distress, try to reach them through another verified method. If you get an email, call them. If you get a messenger chat, call them on mobile to verify it is them you are chatting with.
• Beware of Urgent Requests: Scammers create a sense of urgency to pressure victims into acting quickly. Take time to verify before responding.
• Do Not Share Financial Details: Never send money or gift cards to an unknown individual without proper verification.

5. Educate Your Congregation and Fellow Pastors

Scammers often target church leaders because they know pastors have access to resources and a trusting congregation. Raise awareness among church members by:

• Teaching Safe Communication Practices: Encourage members to verify messages before sharing information or money.
• Hosting Security Workshops: Offer training on cybersecurity, phone scams, and phishing awareness. Our company conducts onsite Cybersecurity workshops, feel free to contact us.
• Sharing Alerts About Common Scams: Keep your community informed about the latest fraud tactics and encourage reporting suspicious activity.

6. Report Scams Immediately

If you suspect a scam attempt, take the following actions:

• Block the Number or Email: Use your phone or email provider’s tools to block and report fraudulent contacts.
• Report to Authorities: In the Philippines, you can report scams to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) or the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
• Inform Your Church Members: Alerting your congregation about scams can prevent others from falling victim.

What Must We Do?

Pastors must be as vigilant in guarding their personal and church-related information as they are in protecting their spiritual flock. By keeping personal contact details private, using separate email and phone numbers, and verifying suspicious requests, pastors can significantly reduce the risk of being scammed. Awareness and proactive measures are the best defense against fraudsters who prey on good-hearted individuals.

By taking these precautions, pastors can continue their ministry work with confidence, knowing they are better protected from deception. Let’s stand together in keeping our churches safe from scams!

Check out the contact details for reporting scammers here:

Cyber Crime Reporting

If this is all a bit too technical for you, we’d love to reach out and discuss this further at your most convenient time. Just contact us.