Here are some news headlines:
“DATCP Warns Of Fake Utility Calls Scamming Victims” – WISC-TV3
“Memphis Couple Caught On Video Scamming” – FOX13 Memphis
“Minnesota Man Sentenced After Scamming At Least 25 Women” – KMSP-TV
“Father Arrested, Son Wanted After Scamming Victim Out Of $6000” – FOX43
“Howell Police Warn Of Kids Scamming Local Businesses For Donations” – Livingston Daily
“Man Sentenced To 14 Years For Scamming Elderly With Fake Magazine” – Washington Post
With a simple Google news search, I found articles about scams happening all around us – north, east, south, and west. And the truth of the matter is then happen here in Iowa too.
Just this past week, we had a middle aged woman who called herself Tina stop at the church during the Sunday morning late service. Several members tended to Tina; they got her water to drink, in a glass, and water to take, in a bottle. They even gave her a baggie full of Ritz crackers.
Tina stopped to ask for gas money. Earlier that morning, her mother was in a car in Chicago and was taken to Cook County Hospital. All seven of Tina’s kids were at home, and a friend volunteered to drive her to Chicago. Except! They didn’t have any gas money. Could the church give them money to drive to Chicago?
Concerned for Tina, I was asked to skip greeting our members and tend to Tina. I immediately sat down with Tina and asked what was going on? After she told me, I asked if her mother was okay. She shook her head yes. Then I asked if any family was with her mother. Tina affirmed her sister was with her mother. To which I replied, “Praise the Lord. Your mom has someone with her.” Then I asked, “Have you been able to talk to your mom on the phone?” Tina said she hadn’t called her. Tina didn’t say, “I can’t call her” or “my mom can’t talk on the phone.” She simply said, “No. I haven’t called her.”
I prayed with Tina and told her we are not able to give her money for gas. I walked her to the door so she could get back to her ride, but I noticed her ride wasn’t here. I also noticed that Tina was approaching members in the parking lot.
You see, this is not the first time Tina has been here. Sometimes it is her mom and sometimes it is her dad, but it is always Cook County Hospital. This was her fourth time, and she is always asking for gas money. She approached many of our members at the end of the Tasting Bee. Approaching them in the parking lot while the second person’s vehicle blocked members cars from backing out. Eventually, her ride picked her up, and Tina’s scam came to an end.
Monday the Office Staff received an email from a mother of three asking for money for school clothing. Often times this is a sincere request this time of year, but the email contained no name, no city, no school, no number. We didn’t respond to the scam.
Then I heard about another church in the Iowa City area that was being attacked by another scam. With appropriate letter head from the church, letters were emailed to members from the pastor requesting gift cards for a struggling member of the church. The letter was written well (oftentimes poor English is a clue to a scam), but the letter requested that photos of the gift card codes were emailed to the pastor. Not dropped off at the church office, but that the codes were emailed. Here was another scam.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is hard to have a compassionate and discerning heart. I remember at Disney the importance the balance of compassion and discernment that was stress. Disney is scammed daily. Everyone wants something for free. Some even devise ways to get the freebies. Articles online even teach you how. This article was posted on August 16th in the online newspaper “The Conversation”: “How to get away with fraud: the successful techniques of scamming.” The entire disabled assistance program at Walt Disney World had to be re-evaluated because tourists scammed the system to avoid ride lines.
Scammers scam!
The Apostle Paul said,
“For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:16–19)
But we are not pitied, for we have hope. Christ is Risen!
And you respond, “Christ is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia!”
When it comes to our faith, we have not been scammed. Praise be to God! Amen!
Remain faithful and Rejoice!
Pastor Hartwig