CUMBERLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ISSUES WARNING OVER PASTOR IMPERSONATION GIFT CARD SCAM
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office has issued an alert warning local residents of an active scam involving individuals falsely posing as Pastor Hank Jones of Simple Life Church to solicit gift cards.
According to Sheriff Casey Cox, the impersonators leverage the trusted name of a community figure to catch victims off guard. They pressure targets into purchasing gift cards and relaying the card numbers, PINs, or photographs, which allows the fraudsters to immediately drain the funds.
Key Prevention and Action Steps:
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Verify Independently: Always confirm requests by contacting the pastor or church directly using a trusted, known phone number rather than relying on the caller ID, display name, or photo in the message.
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Resist Urgency: Scammers often manufacture a false sense of emergency to rush victims into sending money before they can think critically.
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Report and Recover: Anyone who has already fallen victim should immediately contact the gift card company to check if funds can be frozen or recovered, retain all message records and receipts, and file a report with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities urge residents to pause and verify any suspicious financial requests and share this warning to help safeguard the community.
