PALO ALTO COUNTY, IOWA – A religious scam has been reported in Palo Alto county in which a clergyman’s email is mimicked to fool the soft-hearted.
The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office warned the public of yet another scam which was perpetrated in Palo Alto County. This scam consisted of an email being sent from an individual claiming to be a local religious leader asking the victim to purchase iTune cards. The email advised the cards were needed so they could be given to a sick individual and the clergy person was too busy to do this himself. Once the cards were purchased, the card numbers were relayed to the “clergyman” via email so they could be redeemed.
In this situation, the email address was very similar to the real email address held by the clergyman.
The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to confirm any requests with, “the real McCoy” before fullfilling. Please be cautious of any email, text, letter or phone call that is unsolicited, requesting you provide personal information, banking information or asks you to purchase products for someone. If you receive such a request, please call a family member or your local law enforcement agency or simply hang up, disregard the letter, text or email and provide no information or services to the requesting party.
