ATTENTION: Anglican/Episcopal Clergy Take Note...

Katharine Jeffert's Email Has Been Used Fraudulently!

It seems a very talented spammer must have rerouted the Presiding Bishop's mail to themselves, and sent out (who knows how many) requests for money to be sent to "a friend in Africa".

THIS IS A FRAUDULENT EMAIL!

The text of the email reads:

From: kjefferts@aol.com (no longer a valid email address for the PB)

Date: Feb 12, 2007 1:13 PM

Subject: Fax

To:

Dear (insert name)
Am on travel for the primates meeting in Tanzania with most of my personal staff.Could you wire some USD 1,820 to The Rev.Celestin Musekura.She is Kampala,Uganda and an old friend of mine who has a sick mother.She has helped me alot in my teaching about sexuality and the church in East Africa.You could probably use Western union Money Transfer and let her have the transfer details at musekura@graffiti.net and copy the email to me.Her address is St.Luke anglican church,PO Box 46464,kampala,Uganda.Its urgent.Am sorry for any inconviences i may have caused.Nice day.
Shalom,
Katharine.

My husband received this email earlier today, and we thought it all quite odd. After following up with the headquarters of the Episcopal Church, we discovered it is in fact a hoax. Headquarters is dealing with the matter as I type.

Know that you received a fraudulent email, and that we are doing what is necessary to ensure that such emails do not continue. We appreciate your diligence and please do not correspond further with the kjefferts@aol.com email.

etc. etc.

The very clever (and criminally minded) person even had replies to send, via her email address.

All very odd indeed! As if +Katharine needs this right now! I certainly hope something will be posted on the ECUSA (TEC) website about this matter, and it has been reported to the Feds or NY Police. There are laws against this kind of thing.

Be careful folks. Sometimes you can never trust where an email comes from... and if ever in doubt, trust your instincts, and do your research.