Be on Guard for Scams

Please be very careful when responding to emails purportedly from Bishop Lee, our clergy, or church staff members. St. Paul’s will never ask you for personal information, credit card numbers, bank account information or to purchase gift cards via email, text message, or phone call.

We are grateful to several St. Paul's members who have vigilantly alerted us about a scam email they received from someone posing as a member of our staff. The message asks the recipient to help with a secret or confidential task and instructs them to reply to the email for more information.

What to do if you receive a suspicious message

• If you receive a suspicious message, do not reply directly to the message.
• If you want to verify the legitimacy of a request from a staff member, contact them directly through the St. Paul's website.
• You can always call the church office (216-932-5815), call the staff member, or talk to us at church.

What to do with scam messages

• If you receive a scam message, do not click any links, images, or attachments.
• Depending on your email service provider, you might be able to "Report Phishing," "Report Scam," or "Block Sender."
• If you can't report the message, simply delete it.

Secure Online Giving

If you use Realm (our online giving platform), they will never ask you for payment information through email, text, or phone call.

If you have a credit/debit card saved on Realm, they will send an automated email 30 days before a payment method expires and the day of expiration. The emails will request that you update the payment method by logging in to Realm.

You do not have to click the link in the email to update your payment method! You can always login to Realm by clicking the button at the bottom of our website, or you can bookmark the sign-in page directly: https://onrealm.org/StPaulsCle/SignIn

Resources

Unfortunately, scams are on the rise. Here are a few resources to help you stay safe online and learn how to recognize scams:

• Federal Trade Commission: Learn how scammers target well-meaning churchgoers for their generosity.
• Federal Trade Commission: Learn how to recognize and avoid phishing scams.
• Better Business Bureau: Find and report scams.
• National CyberSecurity Alliance: Cyber Survival Guide.

Do Not Be Ashamed

If you have been a victim of a scam, you are not alone. According to F-Secure's U.S. Scam Intelligence & Impact Report, 90% of Americans were targeted in a digital scam attempt in the last year, with 1 in 4 believing they fell victim to a scam, and 3 in 10 losing money to cyber crime.

People often don’t talk about their experience with scams because they worry about being seen as foolish for “falling for” a crime or because a scammer lured them in using embarrassing personal information.

Learn why we should talk about our experiences if we have been victimized and how to report scams to the appropriate authorities.