Scam Alert

Please be warned that there is an email scam that uses a fake email address impersonating the minister or other staff to request membership information, urgent assistance with an unspecified task, and/or financial assistance - often in the form of gift cards. These messages are not generated by a HACKED email address or account, they use fake or SPOOFED email addresses. That means that there is nothing HVUUC or any individual can directly do to stop this - a password or account change does not help.

If you receive a message that seems like a scam, here is what you can do to ensure that the scam does not spread further:

DO NOT reply to these messages.

REPORT the email as spam and BLOCK the sender.

If you aren't sure and want to check the message's veracity, call the HVUUC office, or start a NEW email using the correct email address (minister@hvuuc.org or office@hvuuc.org), and ask.

NEVER send gift card numbers or financial information via email or otherwise.

Many email programs like gmail and outlook automatically save new email addresses to your account, so you may need to go into your comments and confirm that you have the correct email address, deleting any others you have on file so that future emails don't get lost to the scammers.

Links to more info about this type of scam:

https://www.cmu.edu/iso/news/2020/email-spoofing.html

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/spoofing-and-phishing

Here is my solemn promise to you: If I ever need help, or am ever trying to help someone else, it will never be in the form of asking you to buy and send gift cards electronically. If for some reason that I cannot fathom right now I do need such a thing, I will reach out to you in a way other than email.