Scammers looking to rip off NC churches, officials say

View source on CBS17.com 

by: Jeff Reeves 

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office says scammers are using phony, but real-looking emails to try and steal thousands of dollars from churches throughout the state.

According to officials, the scam targets and employee of the church’s finance office. The email appears to be sent by the pastor or another high-level person at the church. The message instructs the employee to send thousands of dollars, via a bank-to-bank wire transfer, to handle an “urgent and confidential” situation.

The scam has targeted businesses in the past, but the focus on churches is a new twist, according to officials.

“But, at a church, it’s usually just good people trying to do good stuff and so their default thinking is going to be to trust,” said