In brief: Fraudsters are impersonating a local reverend in Jersey, Channel Islands, sending emails that spin a tale of a dying childhood friend to persuade recipients to buy gift cards. States of Jersey Police and the Parish of St Ouen are working together to raise awareness, urging islanders never to act on such requests without verifying them directly.
The Reverend Did Not Send That Email
It is a scam as old as the internet and as cynical as they come. Bailiwick Express reports that islanders are being warned about a fraudulent email impersonating a local reverend, which uses the story of a childhood friend dying from Covid-19 to tug at the heartstrings and loosen the purse strings of unsuspecting recipients.
A copy of the scam email, shared by the Parish of St Ouen, is signed “Rev Ian” and tells a sorrowful tale of wanting to help a bereaved family with a small donation. The catch, naturally, is that the supposed reverend cannot quite manage to buy the gift card himself. “Can you get it from Amazon? I reimburse you back as soon as possible,” the message reads. Spoiler: the reimbursement never comes.
The specific product being pushed is a One4all gift card, which recipients are asked to purchase from Amazon. Once the card codes are handed over, the money is gone, and no amount of charitable goodwill will bring it back.
A Familiar Playbook, a Local Face
States of Jersey Police say they have been working with parish colleagues to raise awareness of the scam. The Parish of St Ouen has been particularly active in flagging the threat, warning that the story of a dying friend is deliberately crafted to “gain sympathy and trust”, which it describes as a common tactic in impersonation scams.
The mechanics here are straightforward and well-worn. Fraudsters harvest names and email addresses, identify a figure of local authority or trust, and then impersonate that person to approach people who are likely to know them or feel obliged to help. A reverend is, of course, a particularly well-chosen disguise: few people want to be the one who ignored a man of the cloth in his hour of need.
The parish’s advice is clear and worth repeating:
- Do not buy the gift card.
- Do not send any gift card codes.
- Do not transfer money without verifying the request independently.
- Always contact the person directly using a trusted phone number to confirm any such request.
- Report any suspicious message to the police.
Police have added their own guidance, urging islanders to avoid clicking links or sharing personal information if they are at all unsure about a message, email or phone call. Anyone who believes they have already been scammed should contact the States of Jersey Police on 612612.
Source: Bailiwick Express
