Catholic Action Center warns community about email scam

Scammers impersonating leadership ask for gift cards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Catholic Action Center is warning the community about a scam involving fake emails impersonating leadership within the organization.

A series of fraudulent messages, allegedly from someone claiming to be Ginny Ramsey—a leader at the center—asked recipients to send gift cards.

“Yesterday afternoon I started getting texts from folks saying ‘did you send this?’ One from our bishop, one from friends, you know different folks, one from our attorney that said ‘did you send this?'” Ramsey said.

The scam emails came from addresses that were not Ramsey’s or, she says, in some cases from her actual personal email. Each message included elaborate lies, such as a claim that a friend had cancer and needed gift cards to buy a gift.

Ramsey said they have taken steps to shut down the scams, but are unsure how many people may have already received the emails. She warned that the Catholic Action Center would never ask for donations in this way.

“I can assure everyone we’ll do it through Facebook… any of the social media we ask for, and it will always go directly through the center never me personally,” said Ramsey.

With winter bringing increased needs for those experiencing homelessness, Ramsey fears the scam could jeopardize donations.

“It just breaks my heart to think there are people who would want to scam the most vulnerable folks in our community,” she said.

Ramsey urges anyone wanting to support the center to donate directly through its official website.