Faith Works 2-6-2026
Jeff Gill
Your minister still isn't asking for gift cards
___
A quarter-century ago, when I was serving as parish minister in the Hebron area, I had the honor of hosting a guest speaker during the week from the Ohio Attorney General's office. Betty Montgomery held the position at the time, and I knew someone who knew her, and after some contacts were made, a person whose name sadly I do not recall came to speak to our community.
In 2001, the internet was still a' borning, few in our area used it, and e-commerce was still new. The problem then was door-to-door scams, and after a rough summer before, a few community leaders and I wanted to warn our folk in the spring, before so-called house painters and blacktop refinishers coming around made their inroads into the savings of senior citizens.
Now, I am one, and the internet is everywhere, including my lightbulbs and thermostats. Scams still come door-to-door at times, but we have them arriving in our in-boxes and notifications through devices in our pockets and purses. The scammers? They're a world away, but up close and personal in our business, spoofing or masquerading in digital form as clergy, leaders, even friends, and the one mercy is that they're still mostly asking for gift cards as a way of getting at your money. Even the least prepared know not to share a bank account number with a request online, let alone a pin number.
Gift cards, though: oh my.
So in Granville, on a Thursday at the end of the month, Centenary United Methodist Church is hosting at 10:00 am a speaker from the Ohio Attorney General's office, Danielle Murphy, to talk about "Scam Protection and Awareness." It's free and open to any and all, no reservations needed. Pastor Bob has dealt with a few waves of gift card requests in his name to church leaders and members, and this is his constructive step in response.
It is of no little interest to me that the problem doesn't go away, but it changes, and we have to, in the words of Jesus, "be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves." We in faith communities need to do the work of holiness in our areas, but with a wary eye to how sin can creep in and misuse our good intentions. That's what scammers take advantage of, the desire of people to be helpful.
If you think "I know better, I don't need to go" my suggestion is: come and see if you know as much as you think. The tactics keep changing, and the evildoers — that's what they are, wherever they are as they call and text — keep changing their strategies. We have to understand the tools and techniques in part because we can not only not get suckered, we can be alert to how we can help others.
So I plan to attend, and if you are available on a Thursday morning, this Feb. 26th at 10:00 am, I hope you might come as well to hear what the state's legal officers have to say. Betty is retired, and Dave Yost is in the job now; blacktop scams with buckets of used motor oil are less common (but still around), while it's our smartphone that can make us feel dumb. To keep doing the same good things requires some new approaches, and I hope our Attorney General's staff can help local churches and our community protect the vulnerable, and allow us to know how to communicate and share and give wisely.
Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's curious what scams will look like in 2051. Tell him how you stay connected at knapsack77@gmail.com.
Jeff Gill
Your minister still isn't asking for gift cards
___
A quarter-century ago, when I was serving as parish minister in the Hebron area, I had the honor of hosting a guest speaker during the week from the Ohio Attorney General's office. Betty Montgomery held the position at the time, and I knew someone who knew her, and after some contacts were made, a person whose name sadly I do not recall came to speak to our community.
In 2001, the internet was still a' borning, few in our area used it, and e-commerce was still new. The problem then was door-to-door scams, and after a rough summer before, a few community leaders and I wanted to warn our folk in the spring, before so-called house painters and blacktop refinishers coming around made their inroads into the savings of senior citizens.
Now, I am one, and the internet is everywhere, including my lightbulbs and thermostats. Scams still come door-to-door at times, but we have them arriving in our in-boxes and notifications through devices in our pockets and purses. The scammers? They're a world away, but up close and personal in our business, spoofing or masquerading in digital form as clergy, leaders, even friends, and the one mercy is that they're still mostly asking for gift cards as a way of getting at your money. Even the least prepared know not to share a bank account number with a request online, let alone a pin number.
Gift cards, though: oh my.
So in Granville, on a Thursday at the end of the month, Centenary United Methodist Church is hosting at 10:00 am a speaker from the Ohio Attorney General's office, Danielle Murphy, to talk about "Scam Protection and Awareness." It's free and open to any and all, no reservations needed. Pastor Bob has dealt with a few waves of gift card requests in his name to church leaders and members, and this is his constructive step in response.
It is of no little interest to me that the problem doesn't go away, but it changes, and we have to, in the words of Jesus, "be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves." We in faith communities need to do the work of holiness in our areas, but with a wary eye to how sin can creep in and misuse our good intentions. That's what scammers take advantage of, the desire of people to be helpful.
If you think "I know better, I don't need to go" my suggestion is: come and see if you know as much as you think. The tactics keep changing, and the evildoers — that's what they are, wherever they are as they call and text — keep changing their strategies. We have to understand the tools and techniques in part because we can not only not get suckered, we can be alert to how we can help others.
So I plan to attend, and if you are available on a Thursday morning, this Feb. 26th at 10:00 am, I hope you might come as well to hear what the state's legal officers have to say. Betty is retired, and Dave Yost is in the job now; blacktop scams with buckets of used motor oil are less common (but still around), while it's our smartphone that can make us feel dumb. To keep doing the same good things requires some new approaches, and I hope our Attorney General's staff can help local churches and our community protect the vulnerable, and allow us to know how to communicate and share and give wisely.
Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's curious what scams will look like in 2051. Tell him how you stay connected at knapsack77@gmail.com.
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