“Gift Card” Should Set Off Your Scam Alarm, Even If the Email Claims to Be From Your Pastor

Around the holiday season, old scams show up dressed in fake kindness, generosity, and good intentions.

Scammers know this is the time of year when people are softer and more willing to help, so they ask for donations or small favors for someone “in need.” The stories are carefully invented to sound believable: a sick child, a struggling family, a last-minute act of generosity. When these scams work, it’s not only the person who sends the money who loses. Our trust is damaged too, the trust that we can help, that giving is safe, that kindness won’t be exploited.

Each donation scam makes it harder to respond openly the next time someone truly needs help, which is heartbreaking.

When the Scammer Pretends to Be Your Pastor

One of the clearest examples of how these holiday scams work comes from a message shared on Reddit. The email looked like it came from a local pastor, the scammers used the pastor’s real name and the correct town.

This is the message the person received:

"Hello,

I hope you’re doing well! I’m currently in a long meeting for an upcoming fundraising event and can’t step out at the moment, but I wanted to ask a quick favor if it’s something you’d feel comfortable helping me with.

Today is the birthday of a friend’s daughter who recently recovered from a serious illness — it’s a really special day for their family. I’d love to send her a small gift, and I thought of an Amazon or Apple gift card she could use for some games or books.

If it’s not too much trouble, could you help me organize the purchase online or suggest the best way to send one digitally or buy a physical card and send a picture of the scratched cards and receipt? Rest assured, I’ll transfer you the amount right as soon as I'm done.

No pressure at all — I completely understand if you’re busy.

Thank you so much for considering, and I hope your day’s going well!

Warm regards,

Pastor [ pastor's name]"

How the Scam Works

This scam  relies on information that’s already public. 

Scammers scrap church websites, newsletters, and social media pages. Many churches publish names, roles, and contact details to stay open and accessible, which unfortunately also makes them easy targets. From there, scammers collect the names of pastors, administrators, and sometimes even members.

Next, they create email addresses that look almost right with only one extra letter or small change, details that are easy to miss.

The message itself follows a well-tested formula. The sender claims to be unavailable, in a meeting, on a call, or busy with an event, so the recipient can’t verify the request. Then comes a story designed to appeal to kindness.

Gift cards are key. They’re fast, hard to trace, and irreversible once the code is shared. By asking for photos or digital codes instead of the physical card, scammers make sure the money disappears immediately.

This scam has been circulating in workplaces for years. There, it usually pretends to come from a manager or CEO who’s “in an important meeting with a big client” and needs help buying gift cards right away. Now, the same technique is showing up in churches and religious communities with one important difference: the request feels like a good deed and people are more likely o respond.

Related: Charity Scams: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Charities

What to Do If You Receive an Email Like This

If gift cards are mentioned, treat the request as suspicious until proven otherwise. Legitimate churches, organizations, and employers don’t ask people to buy gift cards and send the codes by email.

Look closely at the sender’s email address, not just the name. Scammers rely on small changes that are easy to miss such as  an extra letter, a slightly different spelling, or a free email account where you wouldn’t normally expect one.

Don’t reply directly to the message. Instead, contact the person the email claims to be from using a method you already trust: a known phone number, the official church email address, or a quick conversation in person.

You can also use Bitdefender Scamio, a free tool that lets you copy and paste suspicious messages to see whether they match known scam patterns. It’s a simple way to get a second opinion when something feels off.

Related:

• The Instagram animal rescue that breaks your heart might be a scam. How to spot fake shelters and give safely
• Beware of Scam Emails Seeking Donations for UNICEF or Other Humanitarian Groups

Once you’re confident it’s a scam, report the email as phishing and delete it. If possible, let others in your church or community know what’s circulating. These scams spread because people assume they’re the only ones being targeted.

For families who want an extra layer of reassurance, Bitdefender’s Family Plans help protect everyday devices from scams, phishing attempts, and other online threats. It’s designed to support everyone in the household — from teenagers to grandparents — without making online safety feel complicated or overwhelming.

Find out more about your family safety plan, here.