Some of you may have received an email, pretending to be Rev. Wendy, requesting gift cards or money or other items. This is the third or fourth time this has happened in the last year or so. (and on at least one occasion it targeted the President email)

So, we are taking this opportunity to remind you-

a. the likelihood of your ministers (or anyone else in your life) asking you for help in the form of a gift card or transfer of money or data is about 7 gajillion to one. These folks intentionally try to prey on your emotions. Thank you so much for your concern about my well-being. That means the world to me. However, if you are doubting the odds listed above, do what 11 people did this past weekend: forward the email to my email address and ask-Do you actually need this?

b. Don’t reply to the original email.

c. Read page 56 in this week’s UU World (a magazine that is sent to every UUSS member’s home). Hundreds of UU churches have been hit by this behavior. It is unnerving. It is annoying. It is immoral. and It wastes people’s time and has the potential to erode trust. Trust and Time are precious. Let’s not let other people with dastardly intentions steal either one from our beloved community.

d. It does not seem that anything has actually been hacked in the strict sense of that word. No one is sure how the emails are getting harvested (as named in the article). However, you can learn more about spoofing, phishing, and other ridiculousness via your favorite search engine. We have been reviewing how information is shared and protected, including access to the building, the office, etc. Safety of data as well as safety of our persons is important. If you are a person who would like to volunteer to assist us in these endeavors, please contact us.

With much care,

Rev. Wendy and Rev. Lynn