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\nScammers are posing as Louisville priests to trick people into giving them money or gift cards.<\/p>\n
\nScammers are posing as Louisville priests to trick people into giving them money or gift cards.<\/p>\n
Parishes throughout the Archdiocese are warning parishioners about suspicious texts, including those at St. Patrick Catholic Church in east Louisville.<\/p>\n
This isn’t the first time text scams have circulated through Louisville’s Catholic community.<\/p>\n
The Very Reverend Jeff Shooner, St. Patrick Catholic Church Pastor, said scammers want to gain the trust of his parishioners, so they use his name.<\/p>\n
“The text message said that I was in a meeting, but I had a family that the mother was dying of cancer, and so I needed gift cards to help support the family. And they were trying to get a parishioner to give those gift cards to me because I was tied up,” Shooner said.<\/p>\n
Another scam text used a different local priest’s name. It said, “Hi John, Please return my text when you get it, I have a favor to ask. Blessings and Peace, Rev. Jonathan Erdman”<\/p>\n
Shooner said the scam is convincing. He said priests will never request gift cards or money directly through a text message for any kind of ministry or personal use. If scammers contact you, delete the text or email, report them as spam and block their number. Do not respond.<\/p>\n
It is good to remember that if the area code is not local, it is likely a scam.<\/p>\n
St. Margaret Mary also sent an email this week to inform its parish and asked them to warn others.<\/p>\n
Shooner currently serves as the pastor for both St. Patrick and St. Boniface. On July 1, 2023, he was named the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Louisville.<\/p>\n
To report a scam text, you can email ourparish@stpatlou.org or call (502) 244-6083.
\nSource: WDRB<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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