Islanders are being warned about a scam impersonating a local reverend which uses a story about a childhood friend dying from Covid-19 to persuade people to buy gift cards.
States of Jersey Police said they had been working with parish colleagues to raise awareness of the scam, which asks recipients to purchase a One4all gift card from Amazon with a promise of reimbursement.
A copy of the scam email shared by the Parish of St Ouen is signed “Rev Ian” and claims the sender wants to help the bereaved family with a small donation.
The message says attempts to buy the card online have failed, before asking: “Can you get it from Amazon? I reimburse you back as soon as possible.”
The parish warned that the story was designed to “gain sympathy and trust”, describing this as a common tactic in impersonation scams.
It urged recipients not to buy the gift card, send any gift card codes or transfer money without verifying the request.
“Always contact the person directly using a trusted phone number to confirm the request,” the parish advised.
Anyone receiving the message should report it as suspicious.
Police also urged Islanders to avoid clicking links or sharing personal information if they are unsure about a message, email or phone call.
Anyone who suspects they have been scammed should contact police on 612612.
