Toronto, December 6, 2004

'Tis the season of generosity and good will, but it is also a time for caution.

United Church congregations and ministry personnel should remain alert to a phone fraud scheme that is once again targeting both individuals and churches affiliated with The United Church of Canada. We first reported incidents of this type of phone fraud in September 2003. The incidents appeared to stop once a warning was posted on the United Church's website and forwarded to congregations via e-mail.

Unfortunately we have received two new reports that this phone fraud scheme is again operating in at least two provinces, Ontario and Alberta.

This is generally how the scheme works.

An individual, identifying himself as a United Church minister or layperson, phones collect saying that he has been mugged, is being released from hospital, and needs someone to wire money to Western Union so he can travel home. The fraud artist assumes the name and identity of a real United Church minister or layperson, often mimicking the person's voice or sharing information that increases the seeming authenticity of the request. In most cases the identities are male, but in one instance the caller said he was speaking on behalf of a female United Church minister who couldn't speak for herself because her jaw had been broken. Usually those who receive calls from the con artist know the person whose identity has been stolen.

This con artist tells a very convincing story, and it is very easy to be duped. He manages to elicit information in phone conversations that he can then use to make his next call more credible. He refers to other ministers and churches in the community, knows the names of presbytery officers and sometimes suggests that he is affiliated with related United Church organizations, like AFFIRM UNITED.

A similar scheme has been ongoing for a number of years in the United States, particularly targeting The United Church of Christ. Please beware.

• If you choose to accept a collect call and you have call display, be sure to record the phone number. If you do not have call display, you can use call return (*69) to find out the last phone number that called you. This service is available for a monthly fee or on a pay per use basis.
• Do not send money without verifying that the person calling is in fact the individual he says he is.
• If you engage in conversation with this individual, do not reveal any identifying or contact information for any other United Church congregations or ministry personnel.
• Report any calls received to the police. If money has been transferred, they will likely suggest you file a complaint.
• To find out more about phone fraud, contact PhoneBusters, a national anti-fraud call centre jointly operated by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Their toll-free phone number is 1-888-495-8501. For more information, visit the PhoneBusters website at www.phonebusters.com.
• Report all such calls to the General Council Office. The staff person responsible for collecting this information is the United Church's Communications Officer, Mary-Frances Denis. She can be contacted or by phone at extension 2016.